White Queen
by RavineWreyn
Summary: Their hearts worked as one, broken souls intertwined by Fates, and what is a Queen without her King? [Sequel to Chess Piece]
1. As Gray As the Sky

**Yes, hello, we meet again. This story is going to be harder for me to write because first off, writing rewrites is easier for me, I know the plot that I am starting with. This? I have very little idea of what is going to happen, so I'm almost as clueless as you guys are. This author note is useless, excuse me. Basically, this chapter is just as starting point and have no real plot inside it... yet.**

 _"There are plenty of people who will expect me to fail."_

 _"Then they don't know you like I do."_

\- Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the Young Victoria (2009)

* * *

The tapping of the rain against the windows made her head turned.

Gentle, though she was sure would perhaps lead to a bigger downpour soon enough. It had made her entire Council paused in the middle of the discussion over their trade with Weselton, as for the Duke's behavior the last time he had been in Arendelle had been viewed as a great insult against the Queen, and the idea of cutting all ties with them had been a very plausible option. Of course there was a very that objected, losing a trading partner was never a good thing to have, but Hans had convinced them that they could instead offered their resources to open up a new trade with another kingdom, one that could show their respect over her.

Clouds turned gray in the sky, and when the meeting had ended, with a suspended decision to be discussed over again in another time, she had made her way toward the tall windows overlooking the town, the corners of her lips tugging into a small smile when her eyes was met with the sight of children playing in the rain, laughing while the adults tried to stand in dry places to keep their clothes from soaking.

She remembered the time where she and Anna would have played in the rain too, when they were young, letting fresh water to soak through the fabric of their dress and through their braided hair, to let drops of water roll down their faces as their laugh and played chase around the courtyard. Their parents would shake their heads when they returned back inside, water dripping onto the floor as they offered the biggest grin toward them in hopes of avoiding any sort of punishment for ruining their dresses.

Her fingers found themselves fiddling with the golden band around her finger again, it had grown into a habit of hers it seemed, to roll the ring against her skin whenever her mind was occupied with thoughts, though now she could feel the smooth metal right against the tips of her fingers for she had begun to _not_ wear gloves during the day, a practice she had been intently doing to exercise herself into the complete control that she long desired.

Because yes she could retracted the ice that she created, she could avoid not shooting ice whenever her emotion went a little out of control, to not freeze every surface that she touched with her bare hands; but she still _yearned_ to learn, to turn the tables around until ice would come out _only_ when she wanted it to.

Her people had accepted her yes, yet still it did not mean that they did not fear her. For even how much they had cheered, how fascinated they were whenever she let magic to come from her very hands, there were fear still inside their hearts, fear of the unknown, of the strange and peculiar thing their own ruler possessed.

And she had to have complete control if she wished for her children to be safe around her.

With the secrecy of her power now out of the picture, no longer the main focus in her mind, the images of starting a family had truly come clearer with each day that she had woken up next to her husband. Of wide blue or green eyes that stared up at her, of the curls of platinum blonde or auburn hair that framed round faces that would resemble Hans or even herself, of laughter that echoed through the halls of the castle as little feet ran against the waxed floor.

Her children, heirs to the crown that she now worn on top of her head, should feel safe to be around their own mother, to not fear of being hurt by accident whenever she lost enough control to unleash her magic, to deserve a life better than hers.

Her hands had now found themselves resting against her stomach, flat under the dress and the corset that she wore, had not yet being occupied with life that she yearned to bear. Yet still she let herself wonder of her appearance should she was carrying a child, of how large her stomach would grow and the feel of the rounding curve as she ran her hands over it, of how Hans would look at her as his hands joined hers, cradling the life that was created from their love.

"Admiring the rain?"

The sound of his footsteps had been failed to be heard by her, nor the sound of the door creaking opened, and she wondered if she truly had been too deep in her own thoughts that she was not aware of her own surrounding. Taken by surprise, red flushed her cheeks as she removed her hands away from her abdomen before she turned to face the auburn haired man, tucking a strand of her platinum blonde hair as she cleared her throat, hoping that her voice would not give away as much shock as she was feeling. "Yes."

Nose brushing against her ear, she could feel his warm breath on her skin as shiver ran down her spine, his arms pulling her body flush to his while she smiled as his sideburns tickled her jaw. Such rare time for her to show her affection with her husband in such room where anyone could have walked in with ease, she much preferred to keep what little of her private life to herself, away from the prying of her Council, yet just for this moment she would pay no mind should anyone find them. After the brief time of her daydream, she truly _missed_ him.

"What were you thinking about before I come and interrupt?" His lips brushed against her skin along with his murmur, and she let her own eyes fluttered close as she hummed her own question of what he was referring to as her attempt to be nonchalant, as he did not need to be involved in such small matter. Yet he had pulled away from her upon receiving her respond, and she had to open her eyes and see him nodding his head toward the window behind her, and once she had looked over her own shoulder, the sight of the glass edges frosting over had her sighing as she rolled her eyes.

"It's not fun when your own magic betrays you." Lips turning into a scowl as she told him while one of her hand moved to dispelled of the frost. It was not as harmful as it once had been, but still if ice kept appearing like this then she may as well not have the privacy to mind her own business. "It's nothing important, really."

Green eyes peering over, past her body and out through the windows, one of Hans' eyebrows rose to express his curiosity. "Were you watching the town's children?"

A husband who could read her like an open book was truly something that she could not explain with the right words. His ability to be able to tell whenever she was troubled was comforting when she could not express it, did not have the courage to voice it out, but equally irritating for she could not keep secrets away from him. "Anna and I used to play in the rain." To be that carefree again, to not have any responsibilities burdened her shoulders, she wished for that once in a while.

Hans' smile was small as the back of his hand ran over her jaw before he brought her closer for a kiss. His childhood had not been the easiest, as far as she was informed by him, for his relationship with his brothers was unlike what she had with Anna, no matter how distant they had been once, and though the curiosity to hear the full story gnawed on her mind, she remained silent about it. He would tell her, once he was ready to.

For now, ignorance is bliss for her.


	2. Bounded by Memories

**I have nothing to defend myself for the lack of update other than that during my absence I have not find the inspiration to write, no matter how I opened the file whenever I'm on my computer, I just can't write.**

 **So sorry about that, hopefully it won't get worse.**

His arm weighted down against her abdomen.

Dark blue sky painted outside the big triangular window stared back at her as she lay in bed, though clear blue eyes remained wide awake even after the clock of midnight had long since passed. No matter how much she had tried to shut her eyes, to ignore the smallest of sounds like the patter of feet in the halls outside as servants come and go to finish with their duties before retiring back to their own quarters, to numb her body of every sensation that her skin felt like the slight wind and the brush of Hans' warm touch; sleep remained out of her reach.

 _"Do try_ not _to listen for once, darling."_ The Prince had told her, just as they were preparing to rest for the day, and when she had asked of what he was referring to, of what he was trying to tell her with such an unclear exclaim, he had only raised his shoulders in a shrug before his mouth opened to speak. _"Your Council_."

She wished it was that easy.

To just push all their demands and words aside, she assumed, to press her palms over each of her ears and drown the men's voices, to simply _ignore_ them in a way that would release her from the pressure that she was constantly put under as Queen, a female monarch with the entire kingdom under her ruling.

Yet she knew, deep inside of her, no matter how good his intention had been when he had spoken, that she could not follow, for her Council was her place to seek guidance and discuss matters for the good of Arendelle, and should she was to ignore them then there would be consequences that she would rather avoid than being involved in.

Demands after demands that were directed at her were, in everyone's belief, for the sole benefit of the kingdom. She was demanded to be betrothed at young age before she was crowned Queen for it was easier to pair two young royals than to handle marriage proposals once she wore the crown, she was demanded to maintain a good relationship with her husband before the public's eyes to keep them off the rumors speculations that may arise, now they demanded for her to soon bear an heir for the throne while she was still young and capable as to ensure the Arendelle bloodline lived on should something was to happen to the Queen.

Breathing out a sigh, her head turned on the pillow, to see the peaceful face of her husband as he slept, unaware of the storm of thoughts raging within his wife's mind. Resting one cold palm against his jawline, feeling the sideburn that has been freshly trimmed just recently, she moved to press a kiss against his lips, soft and gentle, lips just barely touching as she did not wish to awaken him before she moved his arm off her, sitting up and cautiously got up from the mattress without making much of a disturbance.

A mere wave of her hand alone was able to cloth herself in a light robe made of ice that gave it's own glow when the soft light of the moon came to touch it, an ability that she had discovered some time ago during one of her many practices that she had done all by herself, at that time she had created new icy details that intertwined so beautifully with the fabric of her dress and she had begun to wonder if she could make something _more_.

She was thankful for the door that did not creak when she had pulled it opened and closed it back up as she stood in the darkened hallway, empty and so quiet as no one was sane enough to still be awake at such hour, and now that she was outside she was unsure on what she was doing, though she supposed she could just take a walk around the halls until she tire herself.

Basking under the moonlight, her feet lightly stepped against the carpeted flooring, eyes peering every once in a while toward the windows looking out to the fjord that sparkled dimly in the night. She grew up in these halls, ran through it with her younger sister, laughter filling the air as their nanny chased after them as she shouted the words that their Father would acknowledge their behaviors; and the fond memories brought a small smile to grace upon her face. Anna still ran through the halls, every now and then, unable to contain her own energy as she rushed past the servants, and no matter how much she had scolded her about it, per her Council's request of course as the Princess should not present herself so casually, the strawberry blonde haired Princess found it near impossible to slow down.

Her feet had only brought her turning back, ready to return to her bedchamber for the much needed sleep that she had once unable to find, and had just walked past the door leading to her sister's bedchamber when her ears picked up the muffled sound of crashing inside. Alerted, for there should _not_ be any sound coming from within, she cautiously inched closer, tugging off her right glove as her left turned the doorknob, pushing it opened. "Anna?"

The strawberry blonde haired Princess had her back pressed against the large triangular window, eyes wide and breathing quickened before she had realized who had opened the door and spoken, and only then did her posture relaxed. "Oh God, Elsa, I thought you were a ghost!"

"What are you doing?" It was strange of her, the same Princess who servants found difficult to wake in the morning and could still nodding off during breakfast, to not be sprawled on her bed and snoring the night away; and to even think that her sister was a ghost, no less.

Anna had appeared more embarrassed than she was frightened now, as she moved to get down from the lounge, fixing the lime nightgown she was wearing before she cleared her throat as her fingers tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I was uh… the sky is awake so I figured, since I was not asleep either, that I could watch it for a bit."

Only then that it clicked with her, of why her sister was standing on the lounge by the window in the first place, and she had raised her eyebrow in question, although it did took her entire might not to laugh, at least not yet. "You were sitting on the roof." Not question but a conclusion instead, and it made the Princess' head nodded slowly, almost as if she was preparing herself for a long late night lecture. Her expression had only changed into one of confusion when the Queen had let out a light laugh. "You really hasn't changed much from when we were young, Anna."

The younger sister had a wide grin plastered on her face as she moved to sit on her bed, with the older joining in, plopping onto the soft mattress though the comforter had been disturbed, an obvious sign that Anna had thrown the off her when she had spotted the soft dancing light outside. "Why are _you_ still up?"

"I…" the pause in her sentence had not been intentional, yet the sudden lump in her throat had prompted her to swallow before continuing. "I can't sleep."

"It's the Council, isn't it?" Turquoise eyes stared at her with such rare seriousness that reminded her no matter how much Anna had not change from her childhood self, she has grown so much at the same time, no longer the six years old girl whose mind was set on having fun all day. "Elsa, you should never shoulder all your responsibilities alone. I'm sure Hans would be more than ready to assist you however you need him, and you have me too. I mean, I'm no expert in ruling kingdoms, but I would be here to help if needed."

The small smile that tugged on her lips was unavoidable, though her brows still knitted into a frown just a moment after. "I just… it's difficult for me to have someone else do what I've been preparing myself to handle, I've spent my entire life to ready myself and yet-"

"You're still human, Elsa, you have your limits." The warmth of Anna's hand against her shoulder was different than Hans', different kind of love, and yet both were equally comforting. "Perhaps you can consider a second honeymoon with Hans? Let your mind off these things for a while… spend some time alone with him."

The idea was tempting, truly she had missed being able to have nothing but her husband in her mind, just for a few precious moment where they would not be interrupted by the duties and the reality that await for them, yet did she really require a _second_ honeymoon? They haven't really done anything on the first one except her revealing her deepest secret to him, but did they _really_ need it?

"I can't be certain about such thing, Anna. The preparations, the _expense_ , it's all just… it's not necessary."

The Princess' lips pursed into a scowl before her shoulders were raised in a shrug. "Well, I tried." Her hand moved over her mouth, just as it was opened to let out a tired yawn, a reminder of how _late_ it really was. "Now, I'm getting sleepy, but I was wondering if you would like to sleep here, just for tonight?"

"If you don't mind me taking half of your bed, of course." As royals, even Anna's bed was far larger than what others would have, though it was still nothing compared to what the Queen has, but the two of them could still fit together just fine.

"It's just like when we were kids." The strawberry blonde haired Princess grinned as she moved under the cover, letting her head plopped onto the soft pillow. "Whenever I have nightmares I would climb onto your bed, remember?"

There was no way she would forget, of the small voice at the edge of her bed that would wake her faster than the invite of building snowmen, and she would move to give her younger sister room on the mattress, wrapping her arms protectively around her small body as she promised her that whatever monster that would come, she would ward them off with her magic. The last part would not be in Anna's memories though, everything about her magic was erased, every single detail of it, for her own good.

"Of course, but it seemed that the tables have turned."


	3. The Sound of Silence

**No, there's no excuses on why I updated so slowly, I just got stuck a lot.**

To find the Queen in the Princess' bedchamber was such a shock, she could only imagine.

A hand had cautiously shook her shoulder as an attempt to wake her up, and when her eyes did fluttered opened she was met with the face of Gerda over her, with a confused and yet amused expression at the same time as she shook her head. Her mouth moved to ask why it had been her who came to wake her up instead of her ladies-in-waiting, yet the realization had dawned on her before she could speak a word, of _where_ she had fallen asleep in.

The light snoring that came from the other side of the bed had belonged to her sister, still deep in sleep with a clear line of drool coming from the corner of her mouth and hair unbelievably messy she was beginning to question if Anna had perhaps battled the covers in her dream.

"You gave everyone a fright, Your Majesty." Gerda's voice had been reduced into a whisper as she watched the Queen sitting up on the bed, unable to contain the smile on her face. "They all thought you've fled to the mountains."

Unable to hold back the light chuckle that came from her, Elsa's hand had moved to cover her mouth to stifle it instead. "Well then I'm glad you've found me before Hans could send a search party then." There would be no way that she would leave just like that, to leave her husband and her sister behind, to abandon her entire kingdom; such thought would never come true. "As for Anna," turning her head to look over her shoulder as she followed the Governess toward the door. "Do let her sleep a little more; I'm sure she's in need of the extra hour."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

Warm bath had been drawn by her ladies-in-waiting when she came back into her own private bedchamber, though her brows did furrow as she found no sight of her husband anywhere, though she think nothing of it. The heat of the steaming water relaxed her muscles and warmed her face as she let her eyes fluttered close as she had her arms received a throughout scrubbing and massage.

There was always a nagging feeling of caution within her whenever she bathed, even after she was deemed to have control over her powers, as it was something that she could not help but feeling, something she had grown so used to, especially when her mind was swirling with so many things at once. At times like this, Hans' smile and reassuring squeeze of his hand would always able to loosen her tension.

Her bath had mostly been filled with silence, her ladies-in-waiting conversed among themselves in quiet voices as she spent her time shutting her eyes and leaning her head back, though cautiously trying not to let sleep consume her once again.

Even when her ladies-in-waiting moved about and around her as they fitted the teal dress over her body, her lips remained tightly shut without a word, partly from the lack of sleep she had for she had only able to fall asleep hours after midnight in Anna's bedchamber, another part was that she truly had nothing to say nor discuss anyway.

Her eyes did lit up once she had stepped back into her bedchamber, where they settled on her husband standing with his hands clasped behind his back, eyes watching the view outside of the window, already he was clothed in his daily royal attire, hair brushed so throughout with not a single strand out of line.

"You look handsome today," she whispered once she had stood by his side, and she did not lie. The way that the morning light hit his figure, sharpening the features of his face and cast his shadow over the smooth wooden flooring, he was as breathtaking as the sun rising outside.

His head turned upon hearing her words, or perhaps it was the delicate hand resting on his shoulder and over the black epaulet there, the corner of his mouth tugging into a small smile as he turned his whole body toward her, thumb finding it's way over her cheekbone. "And you look so lovely," the slight frown that appeared on his face did made her tilt her head. "Although, it seemed that I have lost you somewhere around midnight. Where have you been?"

"I couldn't sleep," feeling the rising blush on her cheeks, yet she did not turn away to hide it, a blush was a mere harmless thing that she should not hide from him. "So I took a walk in the halls to tire myself, but then I came across Anna and we talked." About what, she left it to herself for now, unable to bring herself to indulge in the subject at the moment.

There was a short silence that transpired between the two of them before a hum came from Hans' tightly pressed lips, his green eyes watching so intently that she almost felt as if he was studying her like a parent judging whether his child had been putting herself into a larger trouble than she had let on. And it made her shift her footing in discomfort. "I may not be able to join you for lunch later," she had wished for him to speak, yet when he did, the words that came from him had disappointed her. "There are some things that I need to take care of."

"What is it?"

Yet he had only smiled as his fingers took hold of her chin, bringing her closer as he pressed his lips against her forehead in a gentle kiss. "Do not worry yourself over it, darling, I will handle it." It was such a clear picture that he did not wish to share _his_ story with her the similar way that she had with him earlier, and it took her entire self not to scowl. She wished to protest, to tell him that as Queen she was supposed to know, yet Anna's voice rang back in her mind, reminding her that perhaps she truly had to try and let others help her every once in a while.

Besides, if Hans could handle whatever it was he was referring to, then she had at least one thing off her mind.

* * *

She thought she was used to being lonely.

The long dining table was empty saved from her that sat at the head of it, the clinking of her own silverware as she ate was the only thing that filled her ears and reminded her of how quiet the hall was as Hans had been true to his word of unable to join her for lunch, and she had only been notified earlier that Anna had gone to the town, accompanied by a few guards as to prevent having an earful from her older sister later when she returned, thus she too was not present in the castle.

For someone who had been spending more than ten years alone, isolated in her own bedchamber, she had thought that eating by herself like this would not have bothered her so much, that this was not to be permanent anyway for her family would have joined her later on dinner, and yet the ache in her heart had made her unable to enjoy the food served before her.

Perhaps it was because she was _not_ used to this anymore.

Reaching for the glass of wine, her hand had stopped, fingers mere millimeters away from the surface, as her eyes narrowed at the deep red color of the drink, and a sigh escaped her lips as her hand retreated back, coming into a curled fist against her chest as she leaned back in her seat.

She had been _overreacting_ , hasn't she?

It was no secret that from time to time she would stay in her study to work, having her lunch delivered to her instead, leaving her husband and sister to eat in the dining hall similar to what she was doing now, and yet it seemed that none of them had reacted the way that she had. Pushing her plate away, she had rose from her seat even when she had only eaten perhaps a half of her meal, making her way toward the door as the guards opened it for her to pass.

There was no point in her being so sullen at the table, so _over-dramatic_ , and she did not wish to waste any precious time that she could use to continue with her work if she wished to be at dinner without the burden of unfinished papers at the back of her mind.

And work could definitely mask how _tired_ she felt.


	4. The Pale Falling Rain

**I... am very busy. College work is insane, guys, everyday after class when I got home I did my assignment, no rest except sleep, so...**

 **BUT I really need to write and that's why this thing is updated again. Though I think it's sloppy, I really can't afford rewriting this chapter from ground zero.**

The shift on the mattress prompted her eyes to flutter open once again.

He laid on his back, with one arm draped over his eyes as he sighed tiredly, and suddenly she did not have the heart to scold him for coming so late in the night, and instead chose to simply roll over until she could feel his warmth against her, an arm reaching over his muscled torso, breathing out when she could feel his own arm moving to wrap itself around her figure, securing her in his embrace.

"Is everything alright?" He had left right after breakfast, down to the docks to oversee the new trades from Spain that had finally arrived after coming behind the intended schedule, something that rarely ever happened. Her Council had suggested for her to write a letter regarding the subject to Spain, to seek for the answer on why their ship had not yet docked in Arendelle, though she had refused to do so –for she did not wish to sound so _demanding_ , yet she had to admit that it did drive her feeling quite anxious, with questions and assumptions gnawing on her mind of the possibilities of what could possibly happened out there.

He was silent, if only for a moment, in which she could feel his hold on her tightened just ever so slightly. "They encountered some minor problems and had to reroute." His answer came in a murmur, a tired one. "I've taken care of it; you don't have to worry yourself."

On other occasions she would ask for a further explanation on the subject, no matter how minor it may be, for everything should have be reported back to her, yet she knew both of them were too tired to even talk about it any further, exhausted to ponder on what may or may not have happened in details, and if he believed it to be nothing worth to directly have her hands in it then she would let him do however he found to be best.

It was one step closer into sharing her power over Arendelle after all.

She had been slowly building on that, of the trust that she had little by little given to him to handle, to let _both_ of them to learn; him with his responsibilities for the kingdom beyond what she had originally let him to attend, and her with letting him do it without having herself fell into the endless thoughts that he _couldn't_ , to not stress over things in his hands and give herself the relief Anna had told her she desperately needed.

Settling deeper into his embrace, she let her eyes to flutter back shut, letting the warmth of his body to bring her back into the land of dreams that she had abandoned earlier at the time of his arrival to their bedchamber.

By the time that her eyes had opened again, it was the morning light that had welcomed her.

Peeking just past the curtains that had been drawn over the windows the night before, in small streaks of light that coincidentally came to hit her right on her face that made her let out a quiet groan as her hand moved to prevent it from blinding her in such early time of the day.

An arm weighted her down by the abdomen, it's mere presence was enough to prompt the corners of her lips to tug into a smile, for he was there, with her, still soundly asleep and not up and awake somewhere before anyone could even tell where he had went. Even the smallest of things such as that could easily please her lately.

"Darling," her whisper was quiet, gentle with a tease of flirt as she rolled over, settling herself comfortably over him, bodies pressing together as her fingers ghosted over his jaw, sending slivers of cold enough to rose him.

It did not take long for his green eyes to peek from under his eyelids as he attempted to blink away his sleep, his own lips tugged into a smile of his own as he had realized he was waking up with her as the first thing he laid his eyes on. "Well, good morning to you too." Already she felt his hand moved against her hip, fingers curling to hold onto the soft skin underneath just as she leaned to press her lips against his. "I seem to have a new favorite way to wake up in the morning."

"That you do indeed." She chuckled, voice ringing through the still dim bedchamber as the curtains had not yet being drawn back to let the light to fully come through.

There was no need for another word to be spoken between them, as lips already found each other, tongues involved in a dance they both knew well. She missed this, the closeness and the shiver that ran down her spine from his touches, and she could feel the urgency in their kiss, hands moving quickly to relief themselves before-

"Your Majesty," the voice at the other side of the door was cautious, following the knock against the wooden, and her shoulders had tensed in respond to the sudden disturbance. "Are you awake, Your Majesty?"

Unable to resist the audible sigh that came from her lips, she had pressed her forehead against Hans' bare chest, blowing a puff of cold air in annoyance as she moved to get off of him for there was no way they would be able to continue anytime soon then. "Yes, I am awake."

Warm fingers wrapped around her wrist just as she was about to leave the bed, tugging her back until the auburn haired Prince had his lips merely inches away from her ear, not minding the ladies-in-waiting that had made their way into the bedchamber to prepare the Queen for the day. "We can continue later."

And if they were alone she would have let out a laugh, one that was loose and could express the amusement that bubbled within her from how much of a flirt her husband could be, alas she had only rolled her eyes as she gave him one last light kiss on his lips.

"I will hold you to that."

* * *

There was no ' _later'_.

Only the whispers that had the tips of her ears turning red as she felt the heat that bubbled up inside of her. It was not loud, but often enough that it reached her, eventually, no matter how secretive it had passed around the servants and her Council men.

That the Queen was unable to bear a child.

Speculations that circled around the subject was mostly due to her magical power over ice and snow, that it somehow had prevented her from ever giving Arendelle an heir, that the Queen had truly been _barren_.

She wanted to do nothing but scream.

Because if it was true then it was so unfair, for Fate to be so cruel on her, to demand her to face obstacles that no one else had to. She had been isolated, all by herself, for years because she possessed the ability to harm people, even those she loved, if she had not control herself, such burden had weighted down on her shoulders ever since she was young; and now it could also be the reason on why perhaps she would never bear a child for her husband?

Eyes stinging with the tears that threatened to fall, her fingers could not even hold the feather quill steady enough to sign the paper before her that she had to drop it as her lips trembled, she ran her hands through her hair, pulled tightly into a bun, as her teeth had bitten down against her bottom lip in a poor attempt to prevent herself from breaking down.

She missed lunch and dinner, had them sent up to her study instead, which she had accepted once she had made sure that she looked presentable and did not show any of the feeling that had thrown her whole focus for the day into a wrecked mess, claiming that she had papers that need to overlook the second time.

And when she had retire to her bedchamber, finding it thankfully empty as Hans had not yet returned from his own duties, she had her ladies-in-waiting did a quick work in peeling the dress she had worn and changing her into her nightgown before she had climb into bed.

This time however, when Hans had joined her, she had remained asleep with traces of fallen tears on her pillow.


	5. A Woman with a Crown

**In the mood of writing that I actually pushed aside my assignments to finish this, lol. Got the idea in the middle of the night as I went to bed, thus why I'm so thankful for the creation of the Ms Word app that is on my phone, then continued it again when I woke up on my computer.**

 **There will be a villain, no worries YuiUsagi111, was just waiting for the right moment for them to appear, but your suggestion is actually really interesting that I may use that too, so thank you ;)**

"You are overworking yourself again."

The words spoken at her direction had been nothing but a passing wind as the feather quill in her hand remained moving across the paper before her, leaving dark cursive lettering as it's trail while her blue eyes remained transfixed on it along with her concentration, lips moving in the slightest of movement as she dictated herself on what she wished to write.

Clearly, such ignorant act did not spark any sort of joy in her younger sister's mind as the Princess' hands both came to press against the mahogany surface of her desk, as she leaned over it until their heads were mere inches away that should she did a sudden jerking of her head then the sisters would certainly collide. "Elsa," the warning tone did make her hand paused, if only for a moment, before it continue it's rhythm. "You were not present during dinner."

"I'm busy." Was her short reply as her had not yet looked up at her sister, unwilling to stop the train of thought of the wordings she had composed so well in her head, she had also could not let herself see Anna's face, knowing fully well of what was coming for her should she did. "Please, I need to finish this so it can be delivered tomorrow morning."

Yet still those pair of hands did not leave her desk, although out of the corner of her eyes she could see Anna did leaned back to at least give her older sister some breathing space. "You _promised_."

Her brows furrowed then, as she had never explicitly promised to Anna over anything regarding her work as Queen, although she _did_ make a promise to somebody else. "Hans sent you, didn't he?" Finally looking up, she let her quill slipped into the ink bottle nearby, just to avoid any dripping ink that would ruin her work. The Princess' jaw tightened then, silent, before she slowly nodded her head.

With her toughened look crumbling down along with her older sister's discovery of the truth, it seemed that the strawberry blonde haired Princess had opted for a much different option as her eyes shifted. "He would have come himself," she reasoned, defending her brother in-law from the annoyance that was clear in the Queen's eyes. "But he had some unfinished business he had to attend to."

" _Unfinished business_?" The scoff that had laced in her voice had not been intended, but she could not help herself. "He gets to attend to his 'unfinished business' but I am not allowed to work on my _duty_? Tell me, dear sister, why is that?"

"He's worried, we both do." This time, the platinum blonde Queen had enough self-control to _not_ snort as she leaned back against her chair, arms coming to cross over her chest as she looked at her sister, of how ridiculous the mindset of worrying about her was. "Elsa, you haven't exactly been yourself these past weeks."

"I am not-"

"Don't deny it." Anna's way of cutting her off was surprising enough, for no one would cut off the Queen, especially when her eyes had narrowed as she mirrored the older sister's act of crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, it's not the first time that you missed lunch or dinner, but… you seemed _detached_ now. You barely talk to Hans, let alone talking to me, and it's worrying us. Don't shut us out again, Elsa."

She wanted to sneer then, to question of who had exactly been shutting themselves away, her or _him_ , but she was not supposed to be angry at Anna, she had nothing to do with the drift that has unknowingly appeared in her marriage, the one marriage that she had thought would gone as smoothly as what fairy tales ending was like, she could not treat her younger sister as the sacrificial lamb to her anger toward her husband.

Instead she had sighed, shoulders relaxing from the tension they were in as she looked at Anna properly, without the red of emotions that was not meant for her. "I'm sorry, Anna, there has been so much on my mind lately that I didn't realize of how I acted."

"You can always talk to me about it, you know that, I'm your sister." The strawberry blonde haired Princess' hand had reached out to grab hers without even the slightest of hesitation, warm against her naturally cold one, squeezing in her physical way of showing support.

Knowing that she had to talk to someone, eventually, before everything would eat her from inside out, she had sighed and squeezed her sister's hand back as she offered her a genuine thankful smile.

"Would you like to accompany me into town tomorrow?"

* * *

It did not take long for Anna to drive her toward the chocolate shop.

Walking into town had been on her agenda even before her sister had come to her study the night before, though originally she was to be going alone with only her guards as her companion to keep her safe, not that there was any doubt that her people would do harm to her, she knew they loved her, at least most of the time they do.

Natural scent of blooming flowers mixing with the freshly baked breads from the bakery surrounded them during such sunny spring time, and the Queen could not help but smile as she took a big inhale of breath while the Princess had already found herself dancing around through the people that bowed and greeted them upon their arrival, enjoying the much needed fresh air after spending most of their time inside their castle.

The man behind the counter had been so kind when the sisters had come to look over what he had in store, excited to be one of those who could potentially sell their product directly to the royal family. He had been selling sweets since he was young, following in his father's footsteps, and now has fathered a couple of children too, if she was to recall correctly.

"Oh this one melts right into my mouth." Anna had sighed happily as she munched on the offered piece of chocolate for her to sample, eyes closing in delight as her face turned so radiant. "Can we get these ones, Elsa, please? You will like it too, I promise."

"If you didn't finish them all before we even reach the castle, that is." She joked, hand already opening the small purse that she had carried with her as she knew even this short journey would not end without a thing or two bought by them.

They had gone into a few other shops after that before she had to end their small walk, as she still have paperwork and meetings to attend to, and had turned to make their way back toward the castle, the guards following closely behind as they watched their surroundings.

It had been mostly silent and filled with small talks as they slowly made their way back, with Anna promising that she would not snack on the freshly bought chocolate until they were inside once more, and her arm had looped around the older sister's, holding on. "It's the Council again, isn't it?" The question had come all of the sudden that all she could manage to do was to furrow her brows as she looked at the younger. "What? Elsa, I know you, your Council is the one that usually makes you so worked up. Tell me, what did want from you now?"

"An heir."

The sudden stop that Anna had made had tugged her backward as well, for the hold over her arm did not crease, and she was thankful to be able to maintain her footing despite her heels almost slipping against the stone pathway. "Well that's just absurd! It is not like you can _will_ yourself to be-"

"They are also having problems with having a woman on the throne."

"Wait, what?" The change of topic for Anna to rant into made the Princess had to pause to process it, brows furrowing so deeply as she looked over at her older sister, turquoise eyes may as well be boring holes into her. "What do you mean? You are Queen by birthright, you have been ruling for almost two years now, why are they having that problem _now_?"

"Oh they have been having that problem ever since I was crowned." They just had not been explicitly discuss it, not to her face anyway, but their old thinking of a man as a more fitting leader was always there, whether she liked it or not. The way that they had been pressuring her into anything and everything was the most obvious method that they had come up with to break her into giving in and raising Hans' title.

"But a woman on the throne of Arendelle is not unheard of." The confusion in the Princess' voice was clear, and even before she had said anything else she could guess to which direction the younger was heading. "Great grandmother Astrid was Queen before she married great grandfather Olaf, just like you and Hans."

"Great grandmother Astrid was not exactly a 21 years old naïve young woman when she was crowned, her eldest child was a son that became a great king that brought Arendelle prosperity, she had three other children too, and she did not have magical power of any sort." Listing off the differences that she had with her great grandmother was easy, she was everything that Elsa wasn't. "Oh and also, great grandfather Olaf became King, eventually." Unlike her husband.

"But you are both great Queens." Anna had argued, just as they had reached the gates, and as much as her work called for her to attend, for paperwork to sign before she had to meet with her Council again, she had redirected the both of them to cross the courtyard toward the royal garden instead of the front of the castle. "You have merely ruled for a few years, your Council was still unable to see how great you are, even though everyone else already do." With head leaning against the older sister's shoulder, an act that was uncommon to be shown in the open between royal siblings, but Anna had never have a problem in doing so, the Princess let out a small relieved sigh. "I am glad you decided to talk to me about this, but have you talked to Hans?"

"No."

"You should."

 **Queen Astrid and King Olaf is actually a nod to the family tree that is provided in the OUAT wiki page, I wouldn't 100% followed through with it though but it does add a nice little detail to the story.**

 **This also turns to be a tad longer than my usual chapter but that's because I'm not sure where to cut it, but I know I have to or I will never do my assignment, which would be bad.**


	6. One Step Closer

**I'm trying my best to move this fic forward in a pace that make sense, not too rushed and not too slow, hopefully I did just that, I don't know. And yes, as YuiUsagi111 said, a marriage without it's ups and downs are just downright boring and unrealistic, I may have taken a few references from my married friends, lol. By the way, thank you so much for your kind words, I love you people.**

 **Also, bumping the rating up when I updated the next chapter, so stay tune.**

 _Set aside your ego, for once._

Easier said than done, if she must admit, as she stood just right outside the door leading into the library. She had dismissed of her ladies-in-waiting for this occasion, knowing fully well that she would need as much privacy as she could possibly have for what she was about to face. Hans was inside, she knew this as much, for once he had not gone to attend to whatever it was that had been robbing his attention away from her.

Anna had been the one who told her, who reminded her, of how important communication between married couples were, how it was supposedly be the foundation of the family they wished to build, and she was not wrong. Truly, for a young unwedded Princess, her sister had surprisingly good advice to give.

The difference had been so clear to her, how familiar it had felt, reminding her of the early months of her marriage where she and Hans had barely spoken to each other –it had been her fault most of the time, with a rift of caution and stranger feeling that she had created. Yet now both of them were to blame, both too secretive toward each other, too many times kept by themselves that it had grew them apart once more.

It both remained acting so stubborn, none would find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Thus why she had pushed the door opened and enter then, blue eyes instantly scanning around the area until they settled on the man sitting by the window, a book in hand as his own eyes looked over each word written on the pages, finger turning the paper every once in a while once he had reached the end of the last paragraph. "Hans."

His eyes snapped up, over the leather-bound book he had in his hand, seemingly surprised to find his wife had joined him, as the door had not creak when it was moved earlier, light pouring in and illuminating her shadow onto the floor. "Elsa," still he greeted her, with that smile that he often had on his face for her, an invitation to join him as the book slammed shut in his grasp. "To what do I owe the honor?"

Letting the door to swing close by itself as her hand slipped off the wooden, she made her way toward him, settling herself on the chair beside his own, one leg crossing over the other as she shifted to properly face him. "We need to talk."

"Aren't we doing that now?"

 _Remain calm._ She repeated her sister's word in her mind as she pursed her lips at his comment. He was not taking this in a way she needed him to. "I'm serious." The deadpan in her voice must have given him a warning alert as he straightened the way he sit, presenting himself properly before her. "We have been… distant." There was no pointing fingers at each other, two was needed to do this Tango; she could not drive him away even before anything started. "You have been busy and so have I, and it's keeping us apart. I don't like it."

She couldn't apologize for doing what she was responsible to do, her title as Queen had brought so many for her to shoulder, and as much as her own ego had wished that _he_ would apologize to her over his own change, she reminded herself not to demand that of him.

"What would you like me to do then?" She needed him to help her, which he had been doing perfectly well by handling some parts of her work that required overseeing outside of the castle as she still was not much of a person that enjoyed the crowd, and it was exactly what bothered her: his constant absence in the castle.

So _what_ she wanted him to do, exactly?

What she wanted for _them_?

Perhaps he had sensed for her uncertainty, of her inability to decide on what exactly she wished to speak to him and it what manner, for he had gotten up from his seat and made the short way toward her, kneeling by her side as his hand took hers, fingers intertwining as she watched. "Tell me, my Queen, and I shall deliver to you."

She could not deny him, could not escape from his charms and the way he looked at her, the way he delivered his words that had left her with fluttering heart every time.

She couldn't remember why she had been so angry at him.

Not when she had leaned down, pulled by the magnetic force of him, lips tasting each other as he stumbled backward and yet supporting both of their weights as he sat on the carpeted floor, unable to move for her legs had trapped him in between, though from the way that he held her, the way his own lips moved against hers, the way his body responded to her, he was not planning on going.

At this moment, it was _he_ who she wanted. She missed her husband, missed how close they were and how in sync they could be; missed the feeling of warmth that spread through her body as he held her, the taste of his lips against hers and her skin.

The words of her sister had slipped back into her mind, an offer once declined was now turned into such brilliant idea that she questioned herself on why she had hesitated back then in considering it.

After all, she deserved this, didn't she?

* * *

It felt so familiar, and yet so different.

The warmth that of her sister enveloped her in a tight hug as the Princess smiled and whispered of her to enjoy the break she desperately needed was gladly welcomed as her own arms came to wrap around the younger sister, thanking her for such kind words and her willingness to handle the kingdom for a little while.

"Don't eat too much chocolate," she reminded her as her index finger came in contact with her sister's nose that wrinkled from both the reminder and the natural chill that came from her skin. "I will not hear that Arendelle had suddenly lost it's supply of sweets during my absence."

The rolling of turquoise eyes had been one that was light-mannered as Anna looked at her older sister, a mimic of hurt in her expression as her hand came to rest against her chest. "Such distrust, Elsa, I'm beyond words." Her lips wavered however, and soon was replaced with a grin she could no longer contain. "Do not worry about anything, Elsa, let yourself go."

Hans' fingers came to intertwined themselves with hers after she had properly bid her sister farewell, holding tight as he led her toward their carriage and assisting her as she climbed aboard before he had moved to join her, the door shutting behind him after he was settled down by her side.

With Anna waving behind them, the carriage jolted forward to begin their journey.


	7. Pour Your Heart Out

**I have written the first half of this chapter long ago, even before chapter 3 was made, I think? It just have been sitting there, waiting to be completed and released, lol.**

 **Also, bumping the rating up.**

Never once did she ever felt quite like this.

Her heart raced against her chest as she stood on the dark stones, towering over the man who had went ahead and took a dip into the steaming water. The hot spring was well-hidden between the trees, just like the house had been, yet still there was the smallest of chance that someone could come across and accidentally see them there. Yet at the same time, the suspense, the thought of secrecy and trying to sneak and hide around, it all… _excite_ her.

Besides, Hans had promised her that the water was not so deep, and even so, if she ever felt anxious then he was there to hold her, to make sure her head did not stay below the surface for far too long, and there was nothing that could make her turn and leave now.

Dainty fingers worked on the buttons of her summer dress, situated at the front and coming from her chest and down to her abdomen, allowing easier access for her to undress, and never once did his eyes ever left her, following where her hands went down until the air brushed against her bare skin.

Shrugging her dress off, one shoulder at a time, she left the fabric fell onto the ground around her ankles as she stood bare in front of her husband. The lump in her throat was swallowed as she moved to step into the water, feeling the heat against her skin as her body slowly submerged deeper past the surface, and Hans moved forward to place his hands at either side of her waist to keep her safe, pulling her into his embrace as their chests pressed against each other.

"The water's nice, isn't it?" The smile on his face was the same one he often wore around her, one that she had fallen in love with and would forever able to make herself feel so at ease for as long as he smiled that way then everything was going to be alright.

"And not too deep." She had repeated what he had told her with a nod of approval, for the waterline had been below her shoulders, hiding her bare chest from prying eyes but not from his sharp ones, and not that she was trying to hide anything from him anyway. "I could not believe we are back here in Ánslo and the first thing that you suggested was to take a dip in the hot spring."

His lips ghosted over the skin of her neck, right above where her vein pulsed, and even without looking she could feel the smile that graced his face. "I have been waiting for this moment, ever since our honeymoon." With his hands tugging her even closer, the flush of their bare bodies together prompted her to chew on her bottom lip. He was so eager, and with everything that had been going on between them and against them back in Arendelle, both deserved to unwind for a little while, as suggested by her dearest sister.

The heel of her foot brushed against the back of his calf as she moved to tease him underwater, and by looking up at him through her thick lashes and giving such suggestive smile his way, it had not taken his lips long to meet hers in a feverish kiss, deep and passionate that drove her sucking up a breath as his fingers roamed the skin of her body, over her every curve as her fingers ran through his auburn hair, damped from the rising steam that surrounded them.

She had never done something like this before.

Lingering kisses and teasing as they sat together in the bath had always led into them bringing it further in their large bed, or any dry place should they could not contain their own desires; to do such thing while still completely submerged in the water was something new and unknown for her.

Her powers were at bay, her practice and self-training had paid off nicely, and the heated water kept her body hot enough until she could barely feel the usual swirling of coldness that danced under her skin. Besides, the fear of freezing the both of them in the spring was currently at the furthest back of her mind.

 _"I can't swim,"_ she had pursed her lips in a scowl at first, back when he had mentioned the one place that they had not come to during their honeymoon that had felt so long ago, just after their carriage had brought them back to Ánslo, not even giving her a chance to settle down.

 _"I would never let you go."_

The way he had lead her, the way his hands just _knew_ what to do, had reduced her worries too, assuring her that she simply must lessen her over-thinking and followed her sister's advice of letting go and let herself be enveloped in the moment, such a rare time in which they could just be the married couple that they were.

No responsibilities, not a single demand from her Council, no whispers and gossips that brought the muscles of her jaws to tightened as she tried to ignore them; just her and Hans rediscovering each other again and again.

The water sloshed as they moved, the sound blending in with the ones that escaped through their own lips as the pleasure building within them increased with every trust that he brought to her, the legs around his waist tightened as her nails dug into the skin of his back, well-manicured and will definitely be leaving marks when they returned to the house later.

Her head was thrown back as her vision was filled with burst of while, eyes shut closed as her body moved on it's own accord to ride off the high that she was in, long platinum blonde hair drenched as her hips moved to bring him to the same ecstasy that she was experiencing.

His teeth grazed against the skin of her breast as a low grown came from within him, filling her up and even after then his hold on her remained, strong arms enveloping her in his embrace.

And he never let go, just as he had promised.

* * *

The heart beating against her ear was soothing.

Summer had never been scorching hot in Arendelle and it's surrounding countries, always pleasant and never given her any sort of discomfort, especially since her body much preferred the cold weather anyway, thus why even cuddling in each other's presence, to have his arm around her while she nestled comfortably against his chest, they were not faced with the unpleasant heat.

"Are you alright?"

His question was not something that she had expected to come from him, especially seeing how well she had been feeling just from being able to leave for Ánslo, to get away from reality even if it was only temporarily. To be able to experience that same feeling that she had on the nights after she and Hans had given into their passion and consummate their marriage for the first time was something she had truly never expected would miss, but she did, and now her heart fluttered with happiness just from it.

Thus of course she was alright, she was more than alright, yet there was something that she had sensed coming from him, one that made her had to guess that he was not merely talking about the moment they were currently in, but also the ones before they had set foot in the royal summer house.

Knowing him, of how much he could observe in silence and study those around him, and remembering of her obvious display of clear distress and the moment where she had _attempted_ to talk to him and yet did not succeeded, there was no doubt in her mind that he had referred to something far more than meets the eye. "I'm… tired."

She didn't mean to whine, she was taught not to complain over things for there are people who suffered more than she, but she was a human still, she had her limits and as far as she had experienced, letting go every once in a while was better than keeping everything inside and suffered in silence.

His fingers curled around her chin then, tilting her head up so she could look at his face, offering a comforting smile as he brushed away the falling platinum blonde strands out of her eyes. His silence told her that she was free to tell him of what she troubled her, yet he also did not demand her to if she was not ready to share it, either way he was there for her.

Caving in, she had let out a sigh before she had begun to open up to him the way she had done with Anna, to explain to him of how her Council had treated her so inhumanly and how she had felt about it, how incapable she had been feeling with the continuous pressure thrown her way.

"I might unable to give you any children, Hans." She couldn't help but bring it forward, the issue that was even far greater than her Council's disapproval of being ruled by a woman. He had asked then, of what had based her words on such thing, why she had assumed the way she did, and she had to hold herself back from looking _too_ judging. "It's almost been _two_ years, and it's not like we have not been… trying, for God knows how much. And still I have never, ever, shown even the smallest of symptom of carrying a child."

"Some women requires more time, Elsa." His hand found hers, and in the gesture they both knew so well he let their fingers intertwined with each other, different temperatures complimenting one another. "We need to be patient."

"Tell that to the Council."

The heaving of his breath had taken her a little off guard, as his face had displayed exhaustion she was not aware he was feeling, his hand tucking a strand of her hair away from her face and hovered over her jaw, the tips of his fingers brushing ever so slightly against her skin. "Do not listen to them then, just for once."

She had moved to protest, to remind him of the importance of the Council in ruling Arendelle, no matter how much of a stress they could give her, they were vital still for the goodness of the kingdom; yet her lips were stopped by his own, pressing a gentle kiss before he brought their foreheads to meet one another.

"Listen to your own heart, Elsa."


	8. Satin and Silk

**Hi, I'm rushing this one (again), so it's far from perfect and probably could have been better if only I can put more time and effort on it, but I couldn't because midterm exam is going to kill me.**

 **Oh I love the sweet irony, YuiUsagi111 XD**

They had never discussed of it.

Had only passed through briefly between them when she had first noticed of it when he had his gloves off, of the scars that littered the palms of his hands, pale and old, questioning on why they were there, maiming him with wounds she was sure was not there by mere accident, and he had only given her the shortest answer that had silenced her from questioning further.

 _"Life can be hard."_

After that, she never mentioned them anymore.

Yet it did not mean that it had gone completely unnoticed and off her mind.

She felt them whenever his hands brushed against her skin, harsh if compared with her soft touch, pressing against her own palms as his fingers intertwined with hers, trapping her hands in between his and the pillows underneath.

There were times when he refused to even taken his gloves off, refused to open himself before her and unrevealed his secret, and it felt as if she was looking through a mirror. For both has secrets they were hiding from the world beneath the silk of the gloves they wore, and only with each other did they finally dare to show their true form, no matter how imperfect it may be.

When she found herself in nights where she was unable to fall into the restful sleep that she needed such as this night, she would have taken hold of his hand, finger gently running over the paling scars, wondering just how much struggle he had overcome, she would find herself admiring the man that possessed the ability to reach passed the walls she had built for years, to break them and set her free of the isolation she had drowned herself in, to prove her that her heart had not been frozen the way she had thought it had.

 _"My brothers are not always the kindest."_

The mysterious land where her husband had been born and raised held so many secrets about him, of his childhood he had never wished to bring up more than a few vague words every time she had tried to encourage him into telling, had always made her wonder of the reality behind the walls where the royal family resided each time the Southern Isles had been mentioned. What had made Hans the way he was? Gentle and yet still so full of secrets even when they were almost married for two long years.

Shifting beneath the blanket that he had pulled over the both of them until she had herself lying on her side to face him, she nestled her head against the crook of his neck, loose platinum blonde hair brushing against his jawline as his arms came to wrap around her body in such automatic way, and again she could feel the scars on his palm as his hand rested against her back, warming her skin up.

With eyes getting heavier as she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, she let herself being drawn into the sleep by the lulling that soon enveloped her in nothing but the dark.

In her dream, she recognized the room all too well.

The air was chilling down her spine even when she could not feel the cold, there was no moonlight that shone through the large triangular window thus why the room was so dim that she had to truly try to look at her surrounding, the carpeted floor felt stiff as it held her down until she was unable to move from where she stood.

 _"Stop it,"_ the low whisper came from the figure curled at the lounge by the window, hands balling tightly that if she was not wearing gloves her nails would have dug into her own palms and drew blood, thin layer of ice crawled on the smooth surface of the glass, and from the looks of things, it had not been something that was meant to happen. _"Control yourself."_

At nights like this, where she could not sleep and left to her own thoughts, often than not that she would make her way toward the window overlooking the fjord below, dark water hosting the ships that had docked in Arendelle. And she would try to _practice,_ to learn on how to maintain the control she desperately needed over her magic, because if she was to do so then she would finally be able to let herself out of the isolation that her parents had put her through for her own sake and her sister's.

The fifteen years old girl had stood up from where she sat, clad in her light blue nightgown that matched the one her sister wore in the other bedchamber, and had faced her with such cold stare that she would have taken a step backward if she could.

 _"Why did they do this to us?"_ She had questioned, voice making her shudder from how it had sounded so ghastly. _"Don't they love us?"_

They do. She knew her parents loved her, just in a _different_ way, a way to keep her and everyone else safe. Her father had told her that it was for the best, and had promised her that once she had controlled her own powers then she could not have to stay hidden any longer.

Yet the question had stung her more than she would have anticipated, for there were times where she did questioned it, of her parents method of treating her like a—

 _"Monster."_ The teenage girl had finished her own thought before she could, eyes casting downwards as she looked at her gloved hands before they flickered back at her, staring without a word until she had turned and made her way to sit back to her initial place on the lounge by the window, pulling her legs close as her arms came to wrap around them. _"Don't turn yourself into them. You're better than that."_

* * *

She marveled on how much a pair of gloves could hide.

From the simplest thing of a noble's hand to even the iciest of magic, from calloused palms of a hard worker to scars that were not meant to be seen, all sitting just beneath satin and silk that wrapped around one's hand so perfectly.

She marveled on how with her and her husband each wearing their own pair, she could not feel what he hid just as much as he was unable to feel the coldness of her touch.

After this morning's event of her waking up in a thin layer of sweat and a racing heart, -not to mention how her nails had dug into the skin of his arm as she had apparently held onto him so tightly in her sleep, Hans had questioned of her well-being over breakfast, one that she had lightly dismissed as a mere nightmare he did not have to worry for.

For it was nothing but a reminder for her, bitter yet needed.


	9. Lean to Trust

**It took me so long to update due to the unexpected difficulty that I faced as I write this chapter, I don't know why is that, all I can say is that I'm sorry.**

"Don't let go."

Such unnecessary warning for him to make, considering on _who_ he was talking to, for there was no chance that her fingers would have unwrap around the leather reins she had in her grasp, not when she could feel her nails through the gloves she was wearing, pressing tight against her palms. Her heart raced as she held her chin up, not daring to look down toward him, should it to avoid him seeing how _afraid_ she was or the ground below her that her feet were itching to return to.

She was overreacting, she knew she was, for it was not the first time that she had ridden Sitron all by herself. Come to think of it, this was the very same place in which she had mounted the stallion as Hans stayed by her side, leading his beloved horse through the path as they talked.

The difference being that he was _not_ holding onto the reins.

His hand came to rest against her thigh, running over the fabric of her riding pants while the other rest against the horse's neck, patting it gently as Sitron stood patiently with the terrified Queen on his back. "Relax, Elsa, he wouldn't run."

The thought of her, helpless as the stallion took off in high speed should there was something that spooked him –her powers unleashing may be one of the reasons, had done nothing but to twist the knot in her stomach even tighter as she was sure her knuckles had turned white by now. "Wrong words, Hans." Her voice came from gritted teeth as she dared herself to advert her eyes a little downward to glare at her husband.

"He will keep you safe, we both will." The Prince corrected as well as adding a small reassurance at her. "Just do what I have told you."

With a nod of his head at the horse's direction, Sitron nudged forward just as his owner took a couple steps back, and her hips bucked at the jolt of movement, hands curling impossibly tighter against the reins, yet Sitron had remained calm as he trotted, seemingly understanding that she was in no way asking him to go anywhere faster, rounding his way around the small clearing in the woods as Hans watched by.

 _"Maintain your posture, Elsa."_ Her Father had reminded, back when she had first ridden the pony that was gifted for her for her sixth birthday, and she had been utterly excited when he had finally given her a chance to try. _"A Queen must always hold herself high."_

The pony had been white, pure and reminded her of snow, of her power, of the feeling of happiness that always filled her heart when she and Anna would spend _hours_ playing with her magic, of the gentle falling snowflakes in winter against her skin.

And they did not melt.

She was beyond excited then, when she was young, to even notice how _nervous_ the horse had been when she had come near, how tense it was as she rode it around the courtyard. They said that animals could sense the presence of magic, of the dangers it pose toward them, of the strange aura that she must have behold upon herself and presented to her birthday gift.

Her father had warned her not to get far, to keep herself in his reach should something was to happen, but she was curious, she wished to _feel_ what people felt when she saw they raced through the forest, between the towering trees, to feel her heart race along with the gallop of her horse.

The hard ground welcomed her when she had slipped off the frightened pony after her heels had dug into it's side to urge it forward, ice shooting from her fingertips and spread around her on the stone flooring. Her father had ran for her then, just as the pony had fled after such display of magic, cradling her close as she came close to tears from the pain she had felt on the side of her body. Yet her heart wrecked more when her pony did not wish to come close to her ever again.

 _"Perhaps horse-riding does not suit you."_

Straightening her back as she held onto the reins, she had let out a breath as her hands tugged on the leather, leading the stallion back toward the auburn haired Prince that had kept his eyes closely on her the whole time she had round the clearing.

"Finished already?" Hans had questioned as he placed a hand over his horse's neck, patting gently as his head tilted up to see his wife, raising a brow as he did so. "You were doing great."

Eyes darting toward the horizon, watching as the orange-tinted sky, blue irises flickered back toward the greens. "It's getting dark soon," she told him, "We shouldn't be wondering in the forest at night, yes?" There was no denying that no matter how hard she had tried to push all of the memories she had as a child, those that brought her nothing but heartache, they always find a way to creep back from the back of her mind, raising into her full attention and dampening the moment that she was in.

He must have noticed her reluctance to continue with her lessons in the reasoning that came through her lips, for he had nodded as he raised both of his hands to help her off instead of trying to convince her to ride for another round or two, an offer she greatly appreciated as she made a move to unmounts the stallion.

The three of them fell into a quiet walk as they made their way back to the summerhouse, with Hans' hand holding onto Sitron's reins while his other arm had wrapped around her waist, drinking in the peaceful atmosphere that Ánslo offered up to them, how the summer breeze blew against their faces and trickled their skin as the sun had begun to set in the horizon, the sky turning into the rich colors of dark blue and many shades of orange to yellow.

"I want to go home," her whisper in the air broke the silence that had befallen her and her husband, for no matter how beautiful the scene that was given to her, there was nothing that could hold her from missing her own kingdom, the comfort that it could blanketed her with. Hans had turned his head to look at her then, one eyebrow raised as he waited for her continue, to give him the proper reason for her sudden cut of their trip. "I have to be there for Anna's birthday."

"We still have a week here, Elsa."

Her lips pursed at his indirect decline to return to Arendelle, of his desire to stay longer, away from their respective responsibilities that they really should not ignore. "It takes _weeks_ to plan and work on though."

The arm wrapping around her waist tightened it's hold as her husband stopped at his track, pulling her with him in the process, his green eyes bore into hers as his brows furrowed. "You are _not_ repeating last year." There was a warning tone in his voice as he looked at her, and the seriousness in it had made her rose her own eyebrow.

"I'm not planning to." A little lie, considering that she naturally wished to give Anna the birthday she deserved after so many years celebrating without her, but she also could not deny the fact that she had fallen _ill_ –sneezing uncontrollably as she caught herself a little cold, due to her overworking herself was something that she would wish to avoid this year. "Hans, _please_."

He was silent, if only for a moment, before his head nodded in agreement. Perhaps he was considering how deeply she loved her younger sister, how much she had blamed herself for the years of isolation that Anna was too involved in despite her not knowing what truly transpired, and that not celebrating the Princess' birthday the way she knew the strawberry blonde haired sister would deserve would make her extremely upset about it was the reason on why he had agreed in the end.

"Only if you would let me tell you to take a break."

Blue eyes rolled at his added request then, as it was such a silly thing for him to say, before she had tugged him to continue on with their walk. "I'm starting to doubt which one of us is the reigning monarch, Hans."

"I don't say that as if I was someone _above_ you, Elsa dear; I say that as a husband who worries over his wife."

 **Also, as you may have noticed, there's no Olaf in this story, and neither does the snowgies and Marshmallow, but it _can_ change, who knows.**


	10. The Sun and the Crocus

**YuiUsagi111: Well I was referring to Frozen Fever when I wrote that part, so you're somewhat right about that XD So since this takes place two years after 'Chess Piece', Frozen Fever happened, just without the snowgies hahahahaha. But no worries, it's coming ;)**

* * *

She could not ask for a smoother celebration.

Beginning her work as soon as she and Hans had returned from Ánslo, in such unexpected timing that had driven the servants running around to prepare for their arrival earlier than the intended schedule, she was just as determined to see that it would be a perfect day for her sister, just as she had did last year despite the ailment that had befallen her on the Princess' nineteenth birthday.

True to his words, Hans had not let her overwork herself over the preparation for Anna's birthday this year, reminding her not to skip her meals and every once in a while had brought her lunch in when she had been stubborn enough as to not come to the Dining Hall.

With her hard work and determination, combined with his firm reminder and care, Anna's twentieth birthday had been a total success without the Queen sneezing throughout the day as her health had been closely maintained. It had been just as merry, celebrated in the town under the warm summer weather, where people had all rejoiced for their beloved Princess.

It was all that Anna much preferred, to celebrate in a more humble way where the citizens of Arendelle would be greatly involved, a contrast with Elsa's birthday where dignitaries and royals from neighboring kingdoms would be the main attendance in the guest list, yet there was really no need to be questioning such differences, for their monarchy status had demanded the different approach in celebration. If it had been up to her, even she would have preferred for a quiet and more private celebration, perhaps not even having a party to begin with, as still the presence of a large crowd could make her feel so pressured sometimes.

With Anna turning twenty in age, the older sister was not even surprised when the Council had brought up the discussion over the idea of the Princess' need for betrothal the very next day during their morning meeting, as she was merely a year younger than when the Queen had been married off now, while even Anna herself had not been awaken yet, being allowed to sleep-in after the tiresome day before. The thought was quickly dismissed away with the same tone that she had used when the subject had been discussed with her almost two years ago. She was not having her younger sister falling into the same fate as she, for she could not guarantee the man would treat the Princess the same way Hans had did to her, and although she did not mention it, all she wished was for Anna to fall in love in her own way and term, as she had been such a romantic type that believed in true love.

"If I may be forward, Your Majesty," Lord Melbourne had begun, and by the tone that he had used, the words he used to her, she was certain that this would only added up to the headache that she was already nursing throughout the meeting. "The Council are only trying to ensure that Arendelle's royal succession is secured."

Here they were again, at the core of the problem.

Should it was all up to her, she would have a child long time ago, just to stop such demands from her Council, yet unfortunately all she could provide them was her patience, and even that was running thin, especially when added with the exhaustion she was suffering from, no doubt coming from the weeks of planning and working on Anna's birthday party, and she was also required to attend this meeting now, as much as she preferred to stay in bed with her husband.

"We are just eager," Lord Russell had added, seeing the clear displeased expression on the Queen's face, as he tried to defuse the heat of the situation. "Seeing that Queen Victoria of Britain had just welcomed her _second child-_ "

Blue eyes snapped up at the mention then, as her brows furrowed even more as she looked at the dark haired Council man. "Did you just _compare_ me to another royalty?" Has it been some sort of a competition between monarchs then, between Queens of the many kingdoms that spread across the globe, to bear as many heirs as they could while they were young and, in the men's word, _proper_?

There was no denying that the sharp tone that came through her lips had caused the older man's shoulders to tense up as he realized his mistake, yet he did not dare to speak and defend himself, as he could possibly make the situation worse for his own behalf.

As her eyes scanned through the men before her, narrowed as she dared for someone else to add another 'reasoning' on their impatience over something that could not be controlled by anyone but nature itself, she leaned back in her seat, hands coming to rest on her lap as she let the argument pass, for now. "Is there anything else that you would like to report to me, gentlemen?"

"No, Your Majesty, that would all."

"Then this meeting is dismissed."

* * *

The sun-shaped seal could only belong to one kingdom.

When the letter had arrived, she had just risen from her seat behind the mahogany desk, had already set aside her quill and ink along with the remaining paperwork as she prepared herself to head for lunch in the Dining Hall. The wax had been purple in color, with gold enhancing the symbol of the kingdom, and she had sat back down with the letter in hand then, fingers already tearing open through the paper as she postponed her lunch for a more important matter.

Corona had always been one of the closest trade partners that Arendelle had, their relation had been built for so many years, by the Kings that had reigned long before her, and had been maintained so well that both parties had almost considered themselves as somewhat a family.

Rapunzel and her husband Eugene had attended her coronation, the once lost Princess of the sunny kingdom had come and greeted her with such bright expression that she reminded her so much of her younger sister. The man that had been standing dutifully by her side had a rather charming aura that surrounded him, had bowed perfectly before her despite the information that had reached her that he had been nothing but a mere thief before he had met Rapunzel. The marriage of the Crown Princess with a commoner itself had rose a few political conflicts, as then she was no longer available to straighten a bond with a neighboring kingdom the way that Elsa had been. Yet fortune had been by the couple's side, as both King Frederick and Queen Arianna had been alive and well, thus able to sort such conflicts for their daughter's sake.

Unfolding the letter in hand, blue eyes were quick to read what had been written in such neat cursive over the paper, eyebrow raising once she had processed the whole information given to her before a small smile had tugged at the corner of her lips.

An invitation for the baptism of Rapunzel's newborn daughter.

Arendelle had sent over gifts to the neighboring kingdom upon receiving the news that the Crown Princess was expecting, even Anna had requested for her to be allowed to write a personal letter, no doubt congratulating the now parents in her own way and word, and such excitement could really be a small good change for Rapunzel from the many official and boring letters, thus she had allowed her sister to do as she pleased, she did not even proofread it when the Princess had done writing, simply slipping the piece of paper into the envelope and sealed it with the royal crocus stamp.

Now that it was known that the baby was a girl, she could already imagine Anna's reaction, and of course knowing how the younger sister would express how she would love to attend, just to see the little bundle of joy. Not that she had the heart to leave her behind anyway.

The only problem was that she was not sure if she _could_ come.

It was directed to her, the invitation, explicitly stated that they were expecting the _Queen_ to attend and whoever she may wish to bring along. And while she would be nothing but joyous for the royal couple and to meet her father's old friend King Frederick, the one thing that disturbed her greatly was the journey needed to be make.

She still could not allow herself to sail aboard, not with her powers that could literally freeze the ocean, and especially not with her traumatic experience and memories of her parents, lost at sea. The fear of it still ate her from the inside out, caused the many 'what if's to start swirling in her mind, of the probabilities that she would end up with the same fate as the late King and Queen of Arendelle.

The small amount of frost blooming under her fingers as she held onto the invitation reeled her back from her thoughts as she dropped the paper onto the smooth surface of her desk, and she had taken a deep breath then, counting from one to ten in her mind as she slowly exhaled, a practice that she, with the help of Hans, had developed to calm her nerves and put her powers back under her control and not the other way around.

She truly had no other choice.

* * *

 **Ah, writing ahead is great. The second part was mostly written even before we reached this chapter, as I already have it in mind, so all I need to do is to copy it, read it over, and make adjustment as I add the rest; which save so much time in updating.**


	11. Nordlys

**It seemed that people are losing interest in this story, but I really want to continue this until the end, so yeah.**

Her stomach turned even before she boarded the ship.

'The Nordlys' stood tall before her, swaying lightly with the waters of the fjord, bathing under the morning sunlight as the crew of the ship loaded the baggage meant to be brought along by the travelling party, the ship itself had been named after the direct Norwegian of 'Northern Lights' and is meant to be the sole Arendelle's ship that would be used by the Queen to sail should she needed to. There was no denying that it was such a beautiful vessel, had been designed with her every need and preference, a perfect ship.

Still her heart raced against her chest as she thought about even walking up onto it.

"Oh wow!" The excitement was clear in her sister's voice as she came to stand by her side at the docks, slightly out of breath as from the corner of her eye she had seen the Princess practically leapt out of her carriage, but the wide smile plastered on her face told her that she did not even notice her state of breathing. "It's beautiful! I've seen it from afar, but this close? Elsa, this is amazing!"

At least now she has Anna responsible for all the talking, should someone come to share their own amazement at the rarely sailed ship.

Arms wrapping around her own, the Princess had continued with her chatter of how happy she was to be able to join her to travel all the way to Corona, expressing just how much it meant for her to come and see Rapunzel's young daughter Marlene, and how memorable their journey would be together. Anna joining the travel gave her some sort of a reassurance, her presence a counter-balance with her anxious self as the younger seemed to be truly unaffected with the thought of sailing after what had happened with their parents.

"A beautiful day to sail, Your Majesty." His voice came even before she could see him, just as he walked down the plank of the ship, his boots thudding against the wooden as he came to greet her with a dashing smile on his face. She didn't mean for her heart to beat so hard in a completely different reason than before as she took the sight of him, dressed handsomely in his Admiral jacket, the medals he had earned over the years of his service in the Navy reflecting the sunlight.

There was barely a time where she would see him in his full uniform such as this. He was always such a dashing man that could make her heart fluttered every time she saw him, but dressed like this, surrounded by the atmosphere he was familiar and spent years in, he just looked even more breathtaking than before.

"Elsa, are you _blushing_?"

She almost forgot that Anna was still standing by her side, close enough to notice the rising heat on her cheeks. Her comment had not make it any better, as she had only managed to blush more while Hans gave a lighthearted chuckle as he came to stand before her. "Would you like to do me the honor to take you aboard, My Queen?" His hand was extended forward, awaiting for her to take it as from the corner of her eyes she could see the strawberry blonde haired Princess snickered at the gesture, and with a roll of her eyes, she accepted.

It was even larger than she imagined.

With a very spacious deck where the ship crew came and go as they prepared for their departure, bowing as their heads as they walked passed her and receiving her nod in return before they continued on, she marveled at the time and energy that had been poured into crafting Arendelle's Royal ship such as this, even the one during her parents' era was not as grand.

"I will personally captain the Nordlys," Hans had spoken as she let her eyes wandered at the sight before her, even Anna had left to inspect the area all by herself by then, engaging in small talks with the crew she found to be not as busy with a bright smile on her face. "You do not need to worry about anything."

Head turning to look at him, she gave him a smile as her hand reached up and tugged on the collar of his jacket, fixing it in place. "I do expect the best from you, _Admiral_."

* * *

She admired the creation of Nordlys.

Her cabin, which was even larger than the captain's, gave her the impression of both the luxury she would find back in the castle and also the simplicity of the bedchamber back in Ánslo. It was not as grand as the Queen's bedchamber, as for obvious reasons that it was a cabin on a _ship_ , but was still the largest there, with everything that she may need already prepared, from a bookshelf to a working desk –should she found herself needing to write. The bed was probably the largest furniture inside, fit for two people to sleep on with plenty of space enough that they still have room to move.

It was the one placed she had spent most of her time in.

Shortly after watching the docks growing smaller behind her and as the men adjusted the sails as they headed for Corona, she had made her way inside without even a single word to Anna nor Gerda, closing the door behind her as she exhaled the breath she did not even realize she was holding.

Her stomach had stirred ever so slightly, thankfully not an immediate reaction that prompted her to cough her breakfast back out, yet still it was there, and she feared that if she got ahead with herself, then she may spoiled the freshly waxed deck. Holing herself up inside her cabin, where she was not required to stand tall with back straight as she presented herself in public, she could at least focus more in trying to find comfort in the thought of sailing for two nights.

Reading gave her a little break from the world, immersing her mind in the story it offered as she was pleasantly surprised that she has not read this one yet, thus the thrill of knowing what would happen next had hooked her in place as she sat behind her desk.

Faintly, from the other side of the door, she could hear the light laughter of her sister as she seemed to enjoy herself quite nicely, prompting a sigh of relief that came from her, as at least the Princess did not suffer the way she did. Gerda had come to check on her, as her ladies-in-waiting did not seemed to have the courage to bother her, as to make sure that she was not having troubles and did not require anything other than the hot cup of tea that now sit half-empty.

Lunch were brought into her cabin, placed on the small table near the window that very much resemble a small sitting area in the garden where she would usually enjoyed her afternoon tea, and Hans came to join her just as one of her ladies-in-waiting had poured her a new cup of tea, a substitute for the wine usually served as she feared it may upset her stomach more.

"Anna made a friend," her husband had reported as he moved to sit down across from her after she had asked for the Princess' whereabouts, for why she had not seen her tailing behind the man when he had entered. "One of the young sailors, Anders, and wish to eat at the deck with him." The news baffled her, especially since Hans had been so casual about the whole ordeal too, for the Princess to act in such way and having her brother in-law's permission only- "She'll be fine, Elsa."

Eyes flickering at him, seeing the trust assurance in his green ones, she released a quiet sigh. Anna deserved this, to be able to interact with anyone she pleased, her bubbly and welcoming personality invited people to come and talk to her, besides she was naturally a people person, unlike the Queen. "Fine. But you have to make sure she joins us for dinner later."

"What about you?" Hans had spoken as he thanked the servant with a nod of his head, loosening the light blue cravat around his neck as he did so. "Are we not going to see you for the whole duration of this trip?"

Silver knife ran smoothly against the fish on her plate as she gave the man sitting across from her a look. "Easy for you to say, _Admiral_ , you're not suffering from sea-sickness."

"The mint didn't help?"

Briefly casting her gaze to her cup of tea, which has mint added to it as per Hans' recommendation, her shoulders rose into a shrug. "Only a little." It soothed her yes, but the discomfort was still sitting there within her, and she did not really look up into having people noticing.

There was a hum that came from him then as he nodded and took a bite of his own meal. "I'll get you some raw gingers later."

" _Raw ginger?"_

"It's more effective." He shrugged, taking a gulp of his drink. "The reaction may be a little stronger though, that is why I didn't suggest it to be your first choice."

Munching on raw gingers did not exactly settled nicely in her mind, but if it truly helped relief her of this damned nausea then she may as well do it. "I'll try everything at this point, Hans."


	12. Steady Beat of Your Heart

**Well, what do you know, I'm updating again. I think I'm going to take this story really slowly, to whatever pace I'm capable of without forcing myself to a certain deadline, because then I can create something that I like. If I'm feeling inspired I would write so much but when I'm stuck then I barely added a sentence.**

He smelt of the ocean.

Late at night did he finally returned into their cabin, discarding his Admiral jacket on the back of the seat by the desk, his boots thumped heavily against the wooden floor as he undressed while she silently watched, as she did not wish to alert him that she was awakened by his entrance. The waters had been calm enough that her stomach had not been as upset, especially since she had that raw gingers Hans had recommended about.

Mattress sinking as his weight climbed up, his arm snaked around her waist as he snuggled up to her almost immediately, head resting on her shoulder as he breathed into her collarbone just as her hand moved to cradle him closer, and even if he knew she was awake by then, he didn't say anything.

It was not that he had never done such gesture before, to be the one that snuggled in such way to her instead of the other way around, it was just rare, and usually occurred when both his body and his mind was utterly exhausted that he needed her comfort, no matter how silent it was.

She had been the first to prompt him to express his own emotions, when he had returned one night with his shoulders slumped and his head hung low, bearing the news that it had been a particularly hard day for him, she had opened her arms and welcomed him in her arms, to let his head rest against her breasts as his arms wrapped tightly around her. Her fingers would comb through his hair, gently as she threaded against the auburn locks, lips brushing against his forehead as he listened to the beat of her heart.

Ever since then, it had become their own way of seeking comfort without the need for words.

* * *

Clear blue sky hung above her.

With no dark and intimidating clouds in sight as far as the eyes could see, Hans had deemed it to be another peaceful and beautiful day without a raging wave that she should be worried about. It was one of the things that had prompted her to agree in stepping out of the security of her cabin, another thing was that she had to know, had to _see_ for herself, of what occurred on the ship _exactly_.

Anna had greeted her with a wide smile, bright enough to compare with the sun that warmed up her skin, as she cheerily danced around the deck, summer dress billowing lightly against the salty sea air along with her movement. Strawberry blonde hair loose in wavy locks except for the braid that came around the back of her head, the Princess' freckled face was framed perfectly for the atmosphere that surrounded her, fitting just right in the picture.

"Queen Elsa," her hand was raised to shade over her eyes as she turned and looked up to where her husband's voice had called for her, brows furrowing at the glaring sunlight behind the standing figure of the Admiral. Despite their marital status, in public where their ranks were clear such as this, it was still a must for him to call her at least with _Queen_ , never her name only. "Come, I'll show you something."

Making her way up the wooden stairs onto the quarter deck where he was steering the ship, she had accepted his extended hand when he had offered it to her, unknowingly letting him tug her to stand between him and the helm instead, placing each of her hand on the handles as his went to hold her by the waist.

"Hans, what are you-"

"Keep it steady now, or else it'll sway." He had whispered, lips so close to her ear that she could feel his warm breath, and the sudden intimacy had brought a tint of red onto her face as her hands held onto the wood, back straight as she did not wish to cause a sudden jolt onto the entire ship.

"I don't think this is appropriate, Admiral."

There was a small laugh that came from him then, amused at what she had just said, though she was unable to tell exactly what part of it that had been funny enough for him to laugh about. "What? I am merely teaching the Queen how to sail."

She hardly consider this teaching, seeing that it lacked in information that came with it, and their closeness had done nothing but made her heart beat against her chest rapidly that he may as well had heard it, yet she would let him has his fun, for now. "Well then," her eyes flickered sideways to look at him before they moved to oversee the deck before her. "I suppose I should be thankful that _the_ Admiral Westergaard is the one teaching me."

Again there was a chuckle that came from him as one of his hand left her waist to adjust the helm by resting on top of hers. His body warmth seeped through her glove, embracing her cold touch as gentle as his hold on her, and her heart fluttered. Their first months of marriage, where most people would be the most in love, had been as tense as it could ever be with her secrets and her unwillingness to have a husband back then, thus why now, at the moments where people considered them to be 'old lovers' and expected them to bore each other's mind already, had actually been the moment where they were the closest up to this point, and she would never object to that.

"Hands where I can see them, people!"

The sudden call coming from the Princess, standing with her hands firm on her hips at the deck as her chin lifted to have a better look at the two, turquoise eyes narrowed as she fought off the bright sunlight, had startled both she and her husband, her hands slipping off the helm just as Hans replaced them with his to avoid the ship going awry in such quick and alerted moves, her own eyes glared down at her younger sister.

"What?" Anna's question was almost half-shouted, as assurance that she was heard clearly, though there was a smile that played on her lips. "He's supposed to steer the ship, not flirt with the Queen, sister."

If the heat coming from the sun was not enough, then the one raising onto her cheeks as she faced embarrassment coming from her sister truly had her face burning. Stepping away from the helm, she had made her way down toward the strawberry blonde haired Princess with a stern look on her face. "Anna-"

"I am merely glad that you can _finally_ enjoy this trip properly." The younger had grinned, not giving a chance for her to even scold her, arms linking around the Queen's. "I mean, what kind of fun you can get if you're holed up in your cabin throughout the whole journey?"

Not enduring sea-sickness would have been a good starter.

Taking a deep breath, she had shaken her head at Anna's direction as the younger lead the two to the side of the ship, watching as the Princess leaned over the wood and let her eyes fluttered close, genuinely enjoying the salty sea air that blew against her face.

"Well, I do hope it wouldn't happen again."


	13. Early Ailment

**See, if I'm inspired I can update in just mere days, this is crazy. Also, I'm glad you guys like that Anna bit there, I based it off myself, basically, on how I usually interact with my sister lol.**

Her stomach clenched as she hurled her dinner back up.

So badly that it may have been one of the reasons why her head had suddenly felt so light, how gravity seemed to be pulling her down onto the earth as her vision had started to darkened at the corners while her stomach twisted once again and her nails could almost _dig_ into the wooden surface of the bucket she had used. Her whole dignity as Queen was at stake too, for should anyone other than her family and ladies-in-waiting to see her in such position –sitting on the cold floor as her body hunched forward while she made such terrible noises, to appear so _weak_ would have been a disaster.

And yet in the middle of all of this, she had almost _laughed_.

For the way her mind had driven itself toward how people would judge her, how they would see her and took pity of her in such condition that she had no control in, was rather pathetic, really. She had told herself, as well as her dearest husband, numerous of times that she should not fall into the dark abyss of self-worth in public's eyes, to not let people control her life and push her to the back of her own mind, and yet it was that very own mind that had been so used in such treatment that had betrayed her, and it was beginning to be rather frustrating.

"Your Majesty," the thick concern in Gerda's voice behind her was clear to anyone's ears, as the Governess awaited for the Queen who apparently was unable to shake off the sea-sickness even when she was already standing on steady ground. "Should I request for a doctor to be fetched?"

"No, Gerda, that wouldn't be necessary." Mumbling more than actually speaking, she was unsure whether the lady had heard her or not, but nonetheless she was not repeating herself. Besides, the lack of sound of her being left alone was an answer enough that she was heard.

The rest of the trip had gone smoothly, even throughout the night she did not feel queasy, had slept peacefully in Hans' arms –who thankfully had bathed first before he had climbed onto the bed to join her per her own request, and she had stood at the deck to see Corona rising up the horizon with her sister, had watched as Hans brought Nordlys to dock and have the men unloaded their baggage just as the royal family aboard the awaiting carriage.

 _"King Frederic, Queen Arianna."_ The welcome had been simple, as only the King and Queen of the kingdom awaited for them by the entrance of the castle, and while Anna and Hans had lowered themselves into a curtsied and a bow respectively as soon as they were off the carriage, she herself had stepped forward with a respectful nod of her head as she approached them.

It was uncommon for the King and Queen to greet their guests the moment they arrived, but since the King was her Father's close friend, it seemed that the generous hospitality had been inherited down to her and to her family.

"Should I announce that you would not return to join dinner, Your Majesty?"

Dinner had went well, the first half of it, anyway. Perhaps it was something that she had eaten or perhaps her stomach was still sensitive and the sudden fill of food had triggered it into twisting, but whatever it was had prompted her to press the tips of her hand against her lips as she first felt the sour taste in her mouth, when it didn't go away she was prompted to stand from her seat, turning heads as she did so.

Even excusing herself had proven to be a struggle as she tried to keep everything down, but as soon as she turned and exited to the hallways, she could hear Gerda's following footsteps behind her.

 _"I'm bilious, quickly."_

The thought of coming back and to face the questions that was sure to arise from those around the dining table did not sit right with her at the moment, especially since she would have to eat again and risk repeating this all over again, thus why even when she really did not wish to be rude to Corona's royal family, she really had no other choice.

"Yes please, I would like to retire back to my bedchamber for the night."

* * *

"They did not mind."

Blue eyes leisurely watching as the auburn haired man undo the buttons of his shirt, there had been a pleased hum that came from her as she laid on her side, the sheet only pulled up to waist. He had return not long after she presumed Gerda had announced her discontinue of dinner –after she had her ladies-in-waiting coming to prepare her for bed, and the first question that had come from her was of course on how people had reacted to her sudden departure and continued absence.

"Queen Arianna did suggest a doctor to check you, but Gerda said you've refused already." His head turned to look at her over his shoulder, with eyes narrowed and brows knitted. "You're stubborn."

"I don't wish to make a fuss." Farther than being sick in the middle of dinner, anyway. The whole situation had actually felt rather… familiar. "The sea-sickness probably lingers. Should I take more raw ginger?"

His head shook as he approached the bed, rounding it to his side of the bed as she adjusted herself to face him. "Do not overdo it." Lying down, he tugged the covers over himself, all the way up to his chest before his hand rest comfortably on her hip. "The mint tea is still agreeable though."

That reminded her of the afternoon tea that she would have to attend with her younger sister to join Queen Arianna and Rapunzel in the royal garden, the invitation had been directed by the older woman herself as they conversed while making their way into the castle. Anna had been more than excited in the idea, as one would expect, already her and Corona's Crown Princess seemed to find themselves weaving a good friendship.

"I'll keep that in mind, then."

Pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead, Hans had pulled her into his warm embrace as she let her own body relaxed into sleep, listening to his breathing as her eyes had fluttered close. Yet it was somewhere after midnight when she had been rudely awaken by the burning sensation that had come from within, providing discomfort as she felt disgustingly sweaty.

She was… hot.

She could not recall when was the last time she ever felt such thing, having magical ice powers did come with it's perks, her body temperature had been one of them. The cold had never bothered her, had been welcomed by her body as it was a part of her, something she was familiar with. She did not expect that _heat_ would be the one that troubled her the most now.

Peeling the covers off her, she had scowled at the sight of her husband's arm across her stomach, weighted her down as it became one of the primary sources of the hotness that she was feeling. Removing his arm away from her as her legs had kicked covers completely off her, she had moved to scoot to the end of the bed, lying on her side with a sigh.

The heat was still uncomfortable for her, but bearable, she supposed.

Never in her life would she ever complain over someone else's kingdom, it was disrespectful in her mind and she certainly did not want someone to complain over Arendelle, but she could not help it this time. Because things hadn't been exactly going the way she wanted to, the way she was comfortable with.

She wanted to go home already.

 **Don't you guys wondered what happened to our Queen? It'll be explained soon~**


	14. Dearest Marlene

"Are you certain you do not need a doctor to see you, my dear?"

A polite shake of her head as she removed her cup away from her lips, she had offered the older Queen a kind smile. "Yes, I am certain, thank you, Queen Arianna." Her refusal had not been laced with any sort of lies, as this morning she had been awakened in such a better mood than she had been the day before, even the night's ailment with heat had disappeared as if it had not been there in the first place.

It was such a fortune that she did not have to suffer through the afternoon tea anyway, such beautiful day would be a waste if she could not enjoy it. The sun seemed to be shining brighter and warmer here in Corona than it was back in Arendelle, and in return she was thankful that her ladies-in-waiting had packed both her and Anna dresses with fabrics that were light and provide breathing room, especially for the Princess who could not resist in exploring the castle.

Speaking of, the sight of her sister approaching from the gardens, strawberry blonde hair weaved into twin pigtails that went past each of her shoulders, had come to her sight as she and Queen Arianna both took a sip of their drinks, coming –or rather _skipping_ , their way as Rapunzel followed suit, slower than her as she kept mindful of the babe in her arms.

"Oh the flowers blooming here are _exquisite_!" Anna had squealed rather pleasantly as she came to stand by her sister's side, cheeks flushed from the sun; and Elsa had resisted the urge to raise her eyebrow, for such word was rarely used by the Princess, she often prefer much… _casual_ words. "Oh and baby Marlene is just the _cutest_ , Elsa! You must hold her!"

"M-me?" The idea had startled her more, enough to cause the stutter of word, especially when the brunette Princess did not even hesitate to come and approach her, already gesturing for her to accept the young baby, causing her own arms to form some sort of cradle that hopefully was right. "I don't think I-"

The weight that had come in her arms had stopped her from continuing her words, frozen in her place as the young mother adjusted her daughter's head in the crook of her arm, shoulders tensing as never once she ever held a child before, and when Rapunzel's hands had completely left her, she dared herself to look down.

Marlene's eyes were wide opened, round and green just like her mother's, staring up at the stranger that held her. It was not that she had never seen Corona's cherished darling Princess, she had, but she was asleep when she had peered inside her crib, to be this close was a new experience. Bits of hair on the child's round head gave her the idea that she was not to inherit Rapunzel's once infamous blonde hair but rather the brunette color she was supposed to be born with should she did not possess magic. Carefully, as not to shift the child so much and keep her secure, she removed an arm so that her hand could reach up, for her fingers to gently brush against the soft skin of her chubby cheek, and she could not help but smile a little.

"You're a natural." Queen Arianna's comment had broken the apparent sole focus she had on Marlene, making her realize that there were people around her, _watching_ her. "And I think Marlene likes you already, Elsa."

The casual use of her name was a rare perk only a few could have, Queen Arianna was one of those lucky enough to do so, as she was older and had a close relation with the Arendelle royals. Looking up, once again she could only offer the woman a smile as she still held the babe, though her other hand had settled back to support her backside.

"Have you not considered on having children of your own?" Rapunzel was merely expressing her curiosity, she was well aware of that, yet apparently being directly asked of such question still made her brows furrowed.

"I… don't think I could be bestowed of such gift, Rapunzel."

There was an unavoidable silence that followed then, something she had expected would occur after she had said what she said, but it was an honest answer, one that she truly think was what had become of her fate, even Anna had fallen quiet beside her. Rapunzel was clearly in discomfort, perhaps ridden with guilt that she had asked such question, and she could not have that; she could not become the cause of the dampening of the mood around her.

"But I could be sorely mistaken, no one knows."

* * *

She should _not_ have given such bitter answer.

After the tea, and the awkwardness that had been caused mainly by her –and saved by Anna's quick change of topic, the four ladies had dispersed to continue with their own personal business, mainly since Marlene had been fuzzy as she was starting to get hungry. She did not know where Anna had gone to, the younger sister was so swift when it came to wandering around by herself. Thus why, though she had thought she could wait for dinner with her sister –as Hans had gone off with Eugene and the King, she had found herself alone in the halls, planning on reading in her bedchamber to pass the time.

"Queen Elsa, may I have a word with you?"

Her shoulders tensed at the sudden voice behind her, as her habit to be wary of her surroundings did not die down even when people knew of her powers now, yet she was quick to compose herself as she turned to face the Queen of Corona, nodding her head. "Of course."

They headed the opposite way which she originally had been going to, side by side as she waited for the topic to rise. "I've known you ever since you were very young, Elsa. As a babe just like Marlene," there was a faint smile that graced the Queen's lips every time her granddaughter was mentioned, and she wondered if her Mother would have reacted the similar way if she was to have grandchildren. "To a toddler perched on your Mother's hip and then a shy little girl hiding behind her Father's legs."

She remembered, though not as clear, of seeing Queen Arianna and King Frederic during her childhood, visiting Arendelle. Both of them had been kind, with warm smile as they lowered themselves to see her better, in awe of the young Princess whose hair did not match her parents.

"I'm terribly sorry that Frederic and I had never visited again after Rapunzel's-" the brunette stopped, yet she did not need her to continue to understand what she was referring to. Anna and Rapunzel was roughly the same age, thus when Arendelle had rejoiced in the birth of their second Princess, Corona had mourned for the loss of their only one. "What I am trying to say is, if I may be rather bold, that I have consider you as somewhat a niece to me, and I wish to help you however I may be."

When was the last time that she ever felt this anyway? This motherly love that did not even come from her own Mother and yet her heart was still warmed by it. She had not been able to talk to her Mother of her troubles and worries, too afraid of what she could do that she had distanced herself even from her own parents. But there were times, happier ones, where she remembered the warm embrace of her Mother, of the gentle kiss on her forehead and the proud pat on top of her head.

And she _missed_ those.

"Thank you, Queen Arianna."

The brunette gave her another kind smile, though she had stopped in her tracks as her hand moved to rest on the younger Queen's upper-arm. "Elsa, I do still think that you should let a doctor check on you." Her mouth moved to decline once again, yet the look she was given had stopped her even before a word could come out. "It may be nothing, but at least that way you give some sort of ease to us who worries."

She… didn't actually think of that. The people that knew of her ailment yesterday must have been worried-sick, to see the suddenness of her departure from dinner and to hear the spread words that the Queen of Arendelle had been sick upon her arrival to the sunny kingdom. "Very well, I will." If it was to ease people's minds then she shall do it.

"And perhaps, you will find something unexpected, who knows?"

 **I was planning on keeping this chapter until the next chapter is ready, but heck with it, I want to update. Especially since you guys sound so eager about a certain thing already lol. Not gonna say anything yet though.**


	15. News unlike Any Other

She was such a fool.

How could she possibly missed such signs that had been so clear right in front of her eyes and yet was either ignored or dismissed as other things while her mind had to battle every judgment and speculations either whispered behind her back or spat right onto her face? If the doctor's prediction had been accurate then she _should_ have known, all by herself, had discovered it the way other woman might have, and yet she _didn't_.

Pacing in the empty bedchamber, as she had dismissed her ladies-in-waiting and even Gerda to leave her alone to think, her fingers flexed at her sides, clenching tightly that her knuckles might as well had turned white as she felt her icy magic swirling just below her very skin, awaiting to come out from her fingertips yet she had held them back –she did not need to have the guestroom of someone else's kingdom to froze over.

When she had noticed just how tight her corset was while her ladies-in-waiting had fitted her into one, she had merely thought that she had gained a little bit of weight, and had only requested for the ribbons to be loosened until she could at least breathe easier. The way her breasts had been so tender and sensitive that she had to remove Hans' hand away had been quickly dismissed as something but mere discomfort.

She had been so utterly clueless that it was frustrating.

Tugging on her gloves, letting the silk to brush against her skin as she let out a sigh, letting her eyes fluttered close as she willed her own heart to reduce such rapid beating against her chest, her hands had ran over her own dress, dismissing off the wrinkles that may have formed, and before she realized it had found their way resting on her own abdomen, brows taunting into a frown as she could not yet feel what she thought would have been there, but she supposed it was too early for that.

"Elsa," the sound of door creaking opened had prompted her to open her eyes and remove her hands until they were back at her sides even before the auburn haired man had stepped in from the hall outside their bedchamber. "You requested for me?"

Nodding, she had told him to shut the door behind him, as she did not want words to be spread without her control over it, and when it had clicked she had motioned him to come closer, taking his hand as she made her way toward the bed, sitting down at the foot of it though the Prince had remained standing, towering over her.

No matter, it was her who could not trust her own footing at the moment anyway.

"I had the royal doctor checked me earlier," she started, prompting his own mouth to open in what she assumed was his comment of her _finally_ deciding on doing so, one which she had given him a look enough to make his mouth shut back up. She wasn't finished. "And I have news."

"Are you ill?"

At this her head shook, and her hold on his hands tightened, she had to tell him, had to let that one word slip past her lips, but she had found it difficult to do so. She was feeling so torn that no words had come from her, and he must have noticed it, of how _nervous_ she was, that he had returned her gesture with his own reassuring squeeze. He was there and he was waiting.

"I'm pregnant."

His hands froze, not by her magic but on it's own, as his green eyes stared down at her, expression unreadable as he stayed silent. It felt so long that she was starting to worry that it was not the kind of news that he had wished to hear from her, not when they were not even in Arendelle, not when they were away from the comfort of their own kingdom, their own home— "Are you certain?"

Her nod was slow, cautious. "The doctor said that it has been conceived _before_ our journey here." So her ailment could either come from the infamous morning sickness that expecting women had or the sea sickness that they all had believed was the cause of her inability to enjoy the trip like the rest of them, or both at the same time, which was far worse. "Are you really not going to say anything, darling?"

The respond that he gave her was not what she expected to. Instead of words, he had come down onto his knees before her, hands slipping away from her grasp as he moved closer and placed them on her waist instead, thumbs running over her clothed abdomen with so much astonishment in his eyes than she thought would be possible. "We are going to have a child."

Hans would have been a wonderful father –she was certain of this, he would care for their child better than anyone could, love it with all his heart could offer and protect it the way that he had always did to her, his past with his family had shaped him into someone that was far better than them instead of falling in step with the cruelty of his brothers, and no child would ask for a better father than him.

 _She_ was about to be a mother.

The shock of discovering such news had overwhelmed her with so many things running in her head that she had not stop to consider, to realize, of how life-changing this had been for her too. She was to care and nurture a child, a life that was growing within her at this very moment, to be as responsible as she could possibly be to teach a person of how to be good, to others and perhaps even the world.

"We have to announce it, of the news." He was still on his knees, still has his hands on her belly, and his request was met with the shake of her head, a refusal. "Why not?"

"Tomorrow is Marlene's baptism, I do not wish to ruin the excitement by giving _my_ news." Gentle hands cradled his face, bringing him up to meet her awaiting lips in a kiss as he sat beside her on the bed. "It would be extremely rude, would it not?"

"Not even to Anna?"

"No, not yet." Her sister would have been over the moon, she could imagine, for she adored children like no other, and to hear that she was to be an aunt would have made her at the very least squeal out in excitement. And when Anna was excited she could hardly control herself, couldn't contain the feelings that bloomed in her heart, and it would have been a disaster if she had spilled the news _everywhere_. "She wouldn't like this, not being told as soon as possible, but she will be fine."

His hand came up to her face then, cradling it as his thumb ran over her cheekbone as he brought her closer until she could taste his lips against hers, warm and gentle while her arms came to wrap around his neck, pulling the two of them even closer until both had fallen onto the soft mattress with her resting on top of him.

"I still couldn't believe this is real." His whisper against her lips was filled with the same astonishment that he had earlier, and she could practically felt his smile. When she had pulled away, she had never seen him with such _goofy_ smile on his face as he grinned up to her, had not notice of how different he had looked now compared to the composed Admiral or even the loving husband that she was used to, and she _loved_ it. Loved this part of Hans who had just discovered that he was to be a father, who she knew would be the best out there.

"Neither do I, darling."

 **And there you go, folks, your prayers have been answered. I have been planning this from the very beginning, just couldn't decide on exactly how I should deliver. Elsa's reaction has been changed several times, because I have a feeling you guys will riot if it doesn't ended up this way XD**


	16. Royal Relations

**It is such an honor of mine to see you guys so excited. I'm also glad that you guys like the decision that Elsa and Hans had taken, and agreeing to the fact that Anna is just such a ball of excitement sometimes lol.**

As expected, Marlene cried during the ceremony.

The child must have been in shock –if not frightened, as she was immersed into the water by the priest, her cries were shrill and echoed throughout the hall of the church and Elsa had fallen into a complete relation with the infant, as she somehow felt the similar way during her own coronation. Granted, she did _not_ have to soak herself completely with water, yet still to be the center of attention when she imagined all Marlene wanted was to be in her Mother's warm embrace was similar to how _she_ had wished to just stay in her room where she did not have to feel eyes on her back.

Perhaps her stature had been a little too stiff that it had Hans noticing, it was unavoidable seeing that he had one of his arm wrapped around her waist, his hand holding onto her side –it was merely a day since they had discovered her pregnancy and already he was finding it hard to stray away from her belly; for his head had turned toward her ever so slightly, with her catching his brow raising from the corner of her eyes, but she had given a little shake of her head in return, he did not have to make a fuss over her emotions.

She had thought that only her husband had noticed.

As the celebration continued to the ballroom, where Marlene could finally rest in the peaceful and quiet corner –being set apart from the crowd but still a part of the party, Elsa herself had found herself standing by the high windows, a flute of champagne in her hand untouched for mere appearance. A servant had offered her one, and if she was to decline when it was clear that she had not drank any, she was in no mood in answering questions. Thus Hans had been the one handling the other guests that came to converse with them, as seeing the displeased glint in her eyes he had been cleverly drove them away from the Queen, promising his quick return with a squeeze of her hand.

The last time she had seen her younger sister, she was talking with Rapunzel.

"You're acting weird." Anna's sudden appearance at her side had almost made her drop her glass, as for someone that was known to make ruckus in Arendelle's castle halls, the Princess could really sneak around. "Weirder than usual."

"No, I'm not."

"Who cries at a baptism, Elsa?"

A hormonal pregnant woman, it seemed. But she didn't think that Anna would have noticed such a small thing, especially when she had looked so utterly in awe at the whole celebration, with eyes never straying from the infant during the whole thing, and with the older composing herself as quickly as she possibly could. "There was something in my eyes."

The Princess' brows furrowed while her lips were pressed in a thin line, perhaps able to see past the cheesy lie that she had come up with in such short amount of time and pressure. It was not that she did not want to tell her sister of the joyous news that she had to hide, by Gods she wanted to _squeal_ it out and have her sister as excited as she was, but she had to hold it back for now, she was not ruining someone else's celebration.

Mouth opening to throw another comment at her, she was saved by the approaching auburn haired Prince, who upon sight had made Anna closed her mouth back up, private conversation with her older sister interrupted. "You have made quite the impression during your coronation, darling." Hans started as he made his way to stand by her side, arm coming to wrap around her waist. "The gentlemen were persistent in knowing more."

"Did they?" Her question was directed at her husband, yet had watched her sister from the corner of her eyes as she did, seeing how her brows furrowed deeper as she watched the two. She could care less for people being interested to her or her magic, everyone does; it was the matter in keeping her secret safe that she cared the most at the moment. "Hans, I would like to dance."

There was confusion on both of their faces when she had blurted out such request, but Hans had recovered rather quickly after he noticed the look she gave him, nodding as he offered his hand to her, which she took a little too quickly, letting herself being led to the middle of the ballroom after she had handed the untouched champagne glass to Anna with an apologetic look.

"You don't dance." His comment almost felt like a reminder as his hands found their respectable places –one on her waist and the other holding hers, bodies swaying along with the song that played in the background, and her fingers curled around his shoulder as she scowled at him. "Not that I mind, of course."

"Anna's suspicious."

"Oh."

Her feet were not as light and lithe as others, dance lessons during her childhood was deemed too risky –dreading on thin thread, as it required her to be close to people, and her Father had viewed it as nothing but a strain for control that was too much for her to bear. Yet despite her struggles, Hans was able to match her steps, skillfully concealing her awkwardness until it seemed that both of them had been taught proper lessons.

"Hans," he had pulled her close to him, bodies flushed together as her cheek rested on his chest while the music had shifted into a slower one. His answer to her was a hum that vibrate beneath her face. "I wish to go home." She would dread the journey back, there was no denying that, but she was desperate for the comfort of her own kingdom, where she was familiar with everything in such delicate time of her life, and by God she wanted to face the Council and gave them what they had been demanding of her, just to give her some sort of peace. "Please?"

His respond was to hold her just a tad tighter, and she felt as if his arms were warm protective blanket that shielded her away from the cruelty of the world. "Whatever you need, My Queen."

* * *

They were to spend three more days before they made the trip back to Arendelle.

Hans was a man with the ability to speak smoothly as he reasoned with others, able to reflect those he was conversing with, and chose his words carefully for the sole purpose of gaining what he needed. With his reasoning that she was feeling rather unfit and preferred to make the trip back to her own kingdom without much of a delay after attending Marlene's baptism –a reason strongly supported by her actual morning sickness the day after, he was able to manage for them to depart sooner than the intended schedule, only needing to give enough time for the ship's crew to prepare.

King Frederic had arranged an afternoon tea between the Corona and Arendelle royals, as per their close relation, desiring to convers casually rather than having them all in a formal dinner where even words were to be watched closely.

She observed.

While the others immersed themselves in light conversations laced with laughter here and there, from Anna's story of the time she fell into the sea from chasing a pig through the village –a topic that even her older sister had never heard about before, to Rapunzel's joke of how Eugene would _never_ sing in public unless being threatened by the Pub Thugs, she watched and listened with a smile on her face.

Both King Frederic and Queen Arianna were just as intrigued with every story told as the two Princesses, while Eugene had his attention divided between them and Marlene, which had Hans whispering jokingly at her that he was actually trying to not look as embarrassed as he was while his wife made silly of him –something rewarded by a light nudge coming from her elbow. The auburn haired Prince himself had his hand resting on her lap, holding onto her knee, while she held onto the steaming cup of tea.

"It is unfortunate that you have to depart early," Rapunzel sighed, but there was a kind smile on her lips as she spoke to the Arendelle Princess. "But you could always come back, once Elsa is healthy and fit for another travel. You are always welcome in Corona."

Anna grinned, no doubt pleased that she had gained herself a close friendship with another royal whose company she genuinely enjoyed. "Thank you, Rapunzel. Speaking of," her head turned toward the older sister, who in turn could do nothing but wait for what upcoming topic that would involve her. "What did the doctor said, Elsa? I've heard he had visit you the other day."

She had been planning on telling the younger sister later, either during the trip back or once they reached Arendelle, and then perhaps writing a letter for Corona's royal family regarding her need for early departure. It would have been somewhat easier, more private, and less audience involved. She did tell Gerda, of course, because she needed the Governess to care for her preferred meals and what she had to avoid.

Hans' fingers curled around her knee in a gentle squeeze, and she turned to exchange looks with him, to see the encouraging smile that he has and the small nod he gave to her. It was decided then.

"Well," his hand moved to intertwine their fingers together, and as the people before her waited patiently, she could see how Anna had rose her eyebrow at the display of small gesture. "I'm with child."

A beat.

"I knew it!" Anna's uproar of exclaim broke the silence as she jumped onto her feet, fist flying up into the air with a triumph. "'Something in my eyes'?" She rolled her eyes as she turned her attention back to the older sister. "That was the _lamest_ reason you can possibly came up with for being emotional, Elsa!"

After that, the afternoon tea had turned out just the way she had expected it would be with her revealing her news; full of congratulations. Eugene proposed a toast, one she and Rapunzel could actually joined in without the fear of consuming alcohol as he had used tea instead, and she could feel herself immersing into the joy.

For once, she forgot the strain that came with her birthright.


	17. Home Sweet Home

**One review inspired me in making this chapter, so thank you, darling reader!**

She was home.

Finding herself standing at the deck once Hans had announced that Arendelle was in sight, watching as her beloved kingdom rose at the horizon, growing bigger as Nordlys approached, breaking through the blue water and against the waves. Tuning out the men working behind her, her hand found itself resting against her clothed stomach, although she could not find the physical change yet, she knew her child was there with her, coming home with her.

The waters had been cooperative enough that they were actually coming earlier than what Hans had predicted when they first departed from Corona, and she was pleasantly welcomed by the weather that she had grown very accustomed with, not overly hot nor bright, just _right_.

"You're up early." She had heard the approaching footsteps, a little dragged against the wood, and the yawning voice only belonging to her younger sister had made her smile as she came to stand beside her, arms crossed over the railing as she leaned forward. Anna was dressed moderately, thankfully, hair pulled into a simple ponytail, but it was clear that she herself had not been awake enough.

"We are almost home, Anna." The relief in her voice almost startled even herself. Sure, she had been feeling great about coming back home, but to voice it so clearly was a little embarrassing. She supposed seeing that they were truly there, that Arendelle was just an arm's reach, had eased her ever-existing fear of never returning the way that her parents did. She was… afraid.

Giving a wide yet sleepy grin, the auburn haired Princess had her head leaning against her sister's arm. "Home sweet home." Another yawn interrupted her before she snuggled even closer, enjoying the natural coldness that the Queen emitted. "I miss my bed."

Of course she did.

People had gathered as Nordlys finally docked, curious as they watched the royal family descended down, she was the first to do so, hand held by her husband, with her sister following close behind, the carriage already waiting for them. As a gentleman, Hans had helped both she and Anna to climb in first, and the chance was seized by the younger sister as she plopped next to her sister instead of her usual place across from her, arms already holding onto her whole body just as Hans had climbed in, resting her head comfortably on the Queen's shoulder with her eyes closed, there was no chance that she was to change her seat.

Her gesture, although being quite unexpected, was pleasant. The warmth that came from Anna was comforting, and the ever present hand of her husband holding her own truly proved her that she was surrounded by those that loved her, kept her grounded and away from the looming loneliness that she had suffered for so many years that it left a glaring scar in her mentality. But she was recovering, her life was improving, she reminded herself that.

The moment their carriage had stopped in the courtyard, just right by the tall wooden doors that stood as the castle's main entry, The Princess had made her way straight inside, stretching her limbs as she mumbled something about 'checking her bed', without a doubt going for a nap she apparently needed, and even then the older sister did not voice her disapproval, she was tolerating it, just for today. She would rather have her sister sleeping through the day than reports of how she nodded off during one of her activities.

Her plan was for her to return back to work as soon as possible, imagining the pilling papers waiting on her desk.

It didn't go well.

Not when she had the Admiral holding onto her hands and tugging her away from her study, insisting that today was still technically be considered her off day, since they had only just arrived from a journey across the ocean, and thus could mind her work _tomorrow_ instead.

And that she should really _not_ exhaust herself for their baby.

That one had successfully bringing her into giving in.

* * *

"It has been in Ánslo, hasn't it?"

It was common for her in opting to read books in the library, a little change of view from the constant hours spent inside her study most of the day, besides it would be far easier for her to choose any book that she was in the mood for when she sat in the same room, but she also stored her absolute favorite ones in her bedchamber, for times where she actually lounged around in bed such as this.

The particular book that she had been reading was kindly borrowed from Anna, a well-worn childhood book gifted to her from her childhood friend, telling a hundred short stories of her tropical land, it was a well-loved and highly prized possession of the Princess. The paper felt a little harsh under her fingertips, yellowing with age, but well-kept.

"What is?" Peering from the top of the book to raise her eyebrow at her husband in question, who currently was enjoying himself in having his head resting on her lap while she leaned against the headboard, she could not help but let one hand to run through his auburn hair, smoothing out the strands that slid past her fingers. He gestured at her abdomen then with a smile, green eyes glinting under the light that came through from the windows. "Perhaps."

It was only logical that the conceiving had occurred around that time, since the doctor had said that she was already pregnant _before_ their trip, and both of them had been busy around the time of Anna's birthday to actually… it must have been Ánslo. Conceiving children was said to work better when one was relaxed, without the stress that strained her mind and affecting her physic, and she had been stressed almost all the time with the nagging Council on her back.

Hans was silent, if only for a moment, perhaps having the similar mindset as she, before his hand had reached up and tugged the book in her hand down, turning her attention back to him as he had a sly grin plastered on his face. "It couldn't be the _hot spring_ , could it?"

He received a pair of glaring blue eyes then, as she found discussing their _activities_ during their trip to Ánslo was rather private, something that was not to be discussed at all. "Hans!"

 **Anna's book is from 'A Frozen Heart', thought it's a nice little detail to add there for tribute.**


	18. Breaking of Rhythm

"I believe you all have heard of the news."

She had been standing outside of the meeting room, just right outside of the door, as she attempted to calm herself. This was the moment she had been waiting for, _they_ all had been waiting for, and though she was sure that the Council had heard of it right after her arrival, she still had to officially declare it. She was to dispel of the rumors that had been plaguing her mind, of the doubtful whispers echoing in her ears, to lift another pressuring demand that came her way.

Yet her heart pound against her chest, loud should she listened enough, fingers wringing at her sides and brows knitting down into a frown. Facing her Council meant coming back to her reality, a start of her routine once again, and though she was reluctant to admit it, she truly appreciated the duty-free moment that came with her recent travels.

Kai watched her by the door, waiting for her signal as he witnessed himself of how the Queen _fidgeted_ in her place with knowing eyes. He had worked for her Father during his time, and continued in his position during hers, he had watched her and Anna grew from merely children, he knew them.

Taking one last deep breath, she had nodded at his direction, watching the door swung opened declaring of her presence. She held her head high, eyes focused forward as she walked with confident steps. She did not show weakness in front of her Council, nor the nervousness she had suffered just a moment ago, would not let it become a weapon against herself later on.

When she lowered herself onto her seat at the head of the table and spoke, no one had answered right away.

They looked at her, _stared_ at her and the smug attitude she presented their way, some even shifted in their own seats before Lord Melbourne had cleared his throat with a nod. "Yes, we have. And I, on behalf of these men, would like to congratulate you on your pregnancy, Your Majesty."

They did not wish to admit of their partake in doubting her, of agreeing to the rumors that she was unable to bear a child, did not even muster the smallest of apologies; but she supposed that was why she was the one ruling Arendelle, because she could see and take whatever it was thrown at her.

What she could not accept, however, was how they were quick in discussing the future of Arendelle through another betrothal, of how _preferable_ it was if her child would be born as a son, a future King of Arendelle that would ensure that the bloodline ran for generations to come.

Honestly, her child was barely conceived and already its gender had been _preferably discussed_. "My child," her voice, although remaining calm and composed, carried through the room, silencing them as all eyes turned to her. "Will be the heir to the throne, no matter what it is born to be." Because Arendelle never had the royal decree that it's ruler had to be a male born. Yes, if her firstborn had been a daughter and the second a son, then he would most likely be the one to ascend to the throne, but she was barely bearing one at the moment, the thought of having another did not even cross her mind yet.

Knowing what she knew, none dared to argue her.

The fact that Corona royal family had known before the Council did had also rose a few disagreements, especially from the older members, but she had easily brushed it off as she did not intend on discovering her pregnancy when she was travelling in the first place, and such news being known by the hosting royals were the most plausible choice to make.

Considering the fact that they had been so demanding in her bearing an heir, so eager for this moment to come their way, the Council did not actually treated it as something to focus on, shifting their discussion into another topic without another glance. Perhaps it was due to how early it was, her stomach had not grew yet either, and perhaps they did not wish to be the one who has high hopes, for she could not deny the possibility that she would not carry this child to term was still hanging thickly in the air.

"We wish you and your child well, Your Majesty."

By the time that the Council had been dismissed, as scheduled for she did not need to end it earlier and lose any important information that they may have for her, she had found herself in need for some light snack before lunch. Gerda had told her that it was to be expected for her, it was better for her to eat little by little than forcing herself and ending with feeling bilious once again anyway, thus why she had told one of her ladies-in-waiting to bring her something from the kitchen as she made her way down to her study.

Dragging her quill across each parchment before her, she left traces of notes and signatures over each report, delivering her order and giving away her acceptance over each and every one of them. She had ruled for almost two years by now, her mind and body had come to a complete memory of what she needed to do, eyes reading over the various handwritings she received.

The repetitive rhythm had never bothered her before, she was comfortable with familiarity, prefer it if she was to remain in her comfort zone, but today her mind had disagree with her. After a few bites of the dried fruit that was provided for her, her eyes had felt rather heavy, mind starting to lose it's focus that her brows had furrowed as she found the need to reread the letter coming from England as her mind had failed to capture the main idea of what the neighboring Queen was trying to express.

Perhaps a little rest would not hurt, just shutting her eyes for a couple of minutes, letting her body gather bits of energy she may be lacking.

Placing her quill back into the ink bottle and clearing the surface of her desk just enough for her arms to lay and act as a cushion for her head, she had buried her face at the crook of her arm, bending her body forward as she let her eyes flutter.

Her sleep had been dreamless, nothing but a black forgettable void, leaving her mind at peace and away from the nightmares that often haunt her.

It was only when her shoulders were shaken that she had woken up.

"You could _at least_ take the lounge." Hans' voice was latched with both bemusement and annoyance, his hand resting on her shoulder as his head tilted to meet her eyes, a small smile playing on his lips despite his attempt to look strict. "Does your back not ache?"

"I was merely resting for a few minutes." She was not going to say that yes, her back did hurt, because then he would only scold her further, and she was in no mood for an argument with her husband, not when she had barely woken up from her nap.

He was silent for a moment, eyes watching her closely, before he had nodded and straightened up, offering a hand for her to take. "You almost missed lunch, come, Anna is waiting already."

"Have I really slept that long?" She was certain that when she had shut her eyes, the day was nowhere near lunchtime, and she felt as if she had not been asleep for long, yet it had been proven to be false and could explain why her back had ached, she had stayed in the same position for too long. Good Gods, she had wasted _hours_ sleeping when she could have finished her paperwork instead. Yes, she was advised to take it easy considering that stress would do nothing good for her in such condition, but she had barely done anything!

Hans' fingers came to hold her chin, tilting her head up to look at him, a gentle smile on his face as he brushed his thumb over her jawline. "Being exhausted is normal, darling." The patience that dripped from his voice gave a certain rush of calm over her as she got up from her seat. "My brothers' wives often take naps during their pregnancy too, it's just how your body adjust. It knows what it needs, Elsa, you just need to let it happen."

"But I think I really do need to consider having help from others."

 **This feels more of a 'filler chapter' than anything. There's nothing too important that happened but I feel like I need to write this, but of course I got stuck for a while.**


	19. One Thing at a Time

**This chapter had been mostly written ahead, as I don't want the idea to go to waste, and I'm pleased that I did, it makes updating much faster.**

She didn't quite expect things to go this way.

Based on her discussion with the Council and her own consideration, she had come to the decision that it was necessary for her to shift around and adjust a few things in her ruling, to start sharing a few of her burdens to trusted people instead of having to shoulder them all herself, considering the doctor's warning of her needing to avoid stress now that she was carrying her firstborn child.

One of her decisions was to include Anna more into the picture.

As much as she did not want her younger sister to have to live the way that she did, she had to admit that it was necessary for the Princess to learn a few key things, mostly about responsibility, just in case that something was to happen to the Queen and required her to give up her crown -death was highly feared but she did not want to put it into actual words, and Anna had lived her carefree life for a little too long now, ignoring the apparent duty that she too have and leaving it all on the older sister. Such thought had come from her Council men.

Yet it would be unwise to simply dump everything on her without letting her adjust.

Anna would need help, at least until she was used to her new duty as the Queen's personal overseer of Arendelle ice trade, and she needed to get acquired to her new partner that the Queen thought she had never met before.

Clearly that was untrue.

"You."

The blonde haired man, one that she had just summoned to enter her study where she and Anna were in, wide eyes staring at the Princess with such disbelief after she had spoken that one simple word that had shattered Elsa's expectations of having to introduce the two. "I see you've met each other."

"He crashed into me."

"You fell into _my_ sled."

Ah right, the ice harvester that Anna had met years ago. The one that has a reindeer as a pet, wasn't it?

Clearing her throat, as to gain the attention of the two that had glared at each other by now, she had first addressed the younger sister with her gaze with the intend to brief the Princess' part of the duty. "Kristoff Bjorgman here," gesturing the man with a wave of her hand, watching as Anna's turquoise eyes had merely flickered to the side to glance at him. "Will be the one giving _you_ reports over our harvest of ice. Now you will have to overlook them and decide however you see benefit most."

She had explained Kristoff's part earlier to him, face-to-face, before the Princess' arrival, the reason why he had remained there was to simply be present for Anna to see, apparently he did not find the time between her end of explanation and Anna's summoning to be the perfect time for him to tell her that he had met the Princess.

Sensing the displeased aura coming from her younger sister, and seeing the clear scowl she had on her face, she had dismissed Kristoff, allowing him to return to his own business at hand now that his task in facing the Queen was completed, and after a respectful bow to both royalties, he had turned to leave through the door that Kai had led him in earlier.

"Why it has to be _him_?" Anna had questioned, right after the sound of footsteps faded in the halls, without giving the older much of a time to speak up herself. "There's a lot of other ice harvesters, right Elsa? Some even more experienced than him, older than him, so why must it be him?"

"Anna, he's a very experienced ice harvester, mind you." The questions thrown at her by the Princess had brought a frown upon her face, as she did not recall Anna to be one who judge people based on their appearance only, but her opinions may have been biased by her personal experience. "And amongst the professionals, his age is the closest to you, I thought it would be best." Having Anna work with someone far older than her would risk awkwardness in their way of thinking, besides she really does take a certain liking to Kristoff, despite the reindeer smell that lingered around him and made her nose scrunched up. He needs a bath, a long one.

"Yeah, but-"

One hand raised to halt her sister's words, she shot her a look while her other hand had come to rest against her belly under the table. She would not have Anna complaining in her choice of partner and would definitely _not_ change it, not when she had spent _weeks_ in judging Kristoff to be her best choice. "All you need to do is to receive his reports and look it over." She would have to overlook it later when it was given to her, just the first few to make sure Anna was choosing right, and once the Princess' judgment was trustworthy then she shall stop. "Hans would handle trading with the neighboring kingdoms." The mention of her husband's part prompted a whine to come from Anna, demanding on why she did not get the part instead, yet it was once again silenced by her glare. "Help me on this, please Anna?"

"Fine." The Princess had let out a grunt of displeasure, but nodded anyway as she did not let on with her disagreement. "But you will have to listen to my complaining."

A deal she did not particularly favor nor like, as Anna's complains means that she was not handling her duty professionally, but she had hope that perhaps working together would also improve her relation with the Ice Harvester. "When I'm not busy, fine."

* * *

"You're early."

Narrowing her eyes at her husband who had just stepped into the bedchamber, her lips turned into a scowl at his comment. After dinner, it was usual of her to continue working in her study until late at night, sometimes even when he had fallen asleep before her, so he must have been surprised to see her already in bed when he had returned from his own business. "I have a headache." And she was still so easily exhausted lately, she knew working in such condition would not give her a maximal result, thus why she had agreed when her ladies-in-waiting had suggested her to retire back to her bedchamber earlier than before.

Hans had bend down, lips meeting hers in a light kiss as he unbuttoned his shirt, before his lips moved to press against her forehead instead. "My poor Queen," his whisper tickled her as he left another kiss down on her cheek. "You shouldn't be working so hard."

"I know." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him for stating the obvious, no matter how she had been trying to avoid it herself, and had put a halting hand on his chest. "I already assigned Anna to her new duty."

"I still think you should divide your duties more evenly." Moving to change behind the changing screen, Hans had not seen the furrowing of her brows at his words. "Compared to your overall duties, Anna and I _barely_ help."

She was Queen, it was expected of her and it was what she had born into, she had spent most of her childhood preparing for such weight to bear on her shoulders, everything that goes around the kingdom and it's relation with others had to go through her, every decision that she made impact on Arendelle, and she had prepared herself for such thing the moment her Father had told her of the importance of being Queen.

The helps offered to her was highly appreciated, especially when it came from both her husband and her sister, she knew she needed it, even more than before now that she was expecting a child, seeing how delicate her condition could be, but it was hard for her to let go of the things she had grown up with.

"One thing at a time, darling."

 **Kristoff is officially introduced into this story! I was considering between having his appearance based on the movie or the Broadway version, and later decided the movie one was probably better since I have his meeting with Anna (that occurred in 'Chess Piece') following the Broadway version already.**


	20. Warmth of Her Heart

She was an early bird, most of the time.

Even the smallest glint of sunlight would have been able to wake her in early mornings, welcoming another day of her life as she turned to face her often still sleeping husband, watching his face and the peace on it, running her frosted fingers along his jaw and through this auburn hair, drinking in the warmth of his body only for her hand to be caught by his, a small sleepy smile growing on his face as he held her hand against his cheek, sometimes bringing it close to his lips so he could kiss her palm. The mere quiet moment where both laid in bed, unwilling to get up just yet, basking in each other's presence until the knock on the door brought them back to reality and the start of their day.

Sometimes, during rare times, she would leave the comfort of her bed instead of interrupting her husband's sleep, tugging on the silk gown over herself as she made her way toward the window, lowering herself to sit by it on the cushioned seat with her knees hugged close to her chest, resting her cheek on them as her eyes watched the fjord, watching how the light reflected on the blue surface, of the early people around the docks, readying themselves for travel or trade.

Lately, however, she had not been her usual self.

The exhaustion and the nausea that still haunted her during her pregnancy had made it difficult for her to find good rest for the night, often too uncomfortable to even shut her eyes as she laid in bed, even Hans' warm and secure arm around her, his hand on the bump that has started to show, could only help so much. This had made her morning not as easy as it usually as, for she would be extremely reluctant to even open her eyes even after her ladies-in-waiting had come to prepare for her bath.

A quiet groan escaped her when the auburn haired Prince had once again shook her shoulders in his attempt to rose her, his breath tickling against her ear as he whispered her name. "Hans, please." She was not one to complain, but after last night's ailment that caused her to curl up and suffer some unexplained raise of her body heat, to finally rest like this was something she deemed deserving. "Just… five more minutes."

There was a sigh that came from him before she felt his hand brushing against her temple as he moved the strands of her platinum blonde hair away, pressing a loving kiss on the spot. "Very well, but the water may get cold."

She wasn't sure if it had been five minutes when one of her ladies-in-waiting, Helen, had come to wake her up, as Hans had probably come down to begin his day. This time, feeling the lack of love of her husband, she had actually bring herself to get up, tossing the covers off her body as she sat up, narrowing her eyes at the amount of light that had come through.

The water did feel a little cold, there was no biting heat against her skin when she had submerged herself into the tub, but she had not blamed anyone over it, not even herself. Besides, the cold never bothered her, so there was no need to fuss over such thing.

Coming down to the Dining Hall for her late breakfast, she was quite surprised to see both Hans and Anna were still sitting around the table, as she had expected to have to eat alone, welcoming her with a collective of warm greetings and smiles as she came to sit at the end of the table.

"No, we just arrived too." Anna had shrugged when questioned on whether they had intentionally waited for her to actually start eating, nibbling on her bread. "What? Would you rather eat alone?"

"Of course not." The Princess' smile widened, and there was a moment where she caught the younger sister glancing at the auburn haired Prince with a wink, which he had returned with an amused smile of his own. _That_ had made her eyebrow raised in question. "What are you two up to now?"

"Anna saw me in the halls and asked where you were," Hans started, "I told her everything and she suggest for us to head to the Dining Hall by rounding the castle, so that we take more time."

Red had spread over her sister's freckled cheeks and the bridge of her nose when she had turned her attention to her, embarrassed for such touching gesture that actually made the Queen's heart swelled with love, it was simple and yet… it was too early in the day for her to cry.

"Hans! You were not supposed to tell her that!"

* * *

"Stop tormenting yourself."

The strawberry blonde haired Princess had stood in front of the mahogany desk, arms crossed over her chest as her cheeks puffed with air, turquoise eyes watching over as the older sister read over the paperwork she had in hand. "I am not." Eyes flickering to look past the paper, Elsa had only given her a raise of her eyebrow, which made the younger let out a sigh. "Fine, maybe a little bit. I mean, I could not believe that you had to work so much still. Am I not helping?"

Blinking, the Queen had not expected that Anna had come to question _that_ instead of complaining over her work partner, considering that she had come with the reports in hand, perhaps she and Kristoff were already finding themselves on the same thinking level. "Of course you are." She didn't have the heart to admit that she would overview her sister's work in fear that she would feel as if the Queen did not trust her. "But trading and ice harvesting are not the only things I have to work with, there are many others."

"Well, why can't Hans and I help with the _'many others'_?" Anna had lowered herself onto her knees, arms crossing over the surface of the desk as she rested her chin on her arms, head tilting then as she looked at her older sister. "We are no experts like you, but we can endure it, I think."

Unable to contain the light chuckle, her fingers had reached over to brush Anna's bangs aside and away from her face with affection. "I appreciate it, really, but you have to slow down there." Both her husband and sister had shared a similar trait of themselves, they were both eager, the difference was that the Princess expressed it more boldly, spoke it out as her way of love. "I can't just _dump_ everything to you both so suddenly." To hand over Arendelle just like that, knowing that neither of the two had properly prepare themselves to rule the kingdom, could turn disastrous. "It takes time and progress, Anna."

"By the time that happened, I think the baby will already being born."

The Princess had pursed her lips then, although knowing very well how the platinum blonde haired Queen had very little of trust when it came to trusting the kingdom to others, she supposed Anna's sulking made sense. At the pace she was in, she probably would have welcomed her babe to the world before she could put a huge responsibility on others.

"Elsa," the silence that had occurred between them had made Anna shifted in her kneeling position –she wondered if that was comfortable at all, perhaps not wanting for their conversation to hang awkwardly. "Can I see the umm… your stomach?"

The younger sister had genuinely sounded shy when she had expressed her apparent curiosity, eyes wide as she waited for the approval, and when the Queen had smiled and nodded, moving her chair back and to a side, straightening up as she watched her sister _crawled_ toward her with furrowed eyebrows. "Anna, don't crawl."

"It's practical." It was her only answer with a roll of her eyes as she come to kneel in front of the Queen, leaning forward to better see the smallest of bump that had shown over her belly, and she made a mental note to remind her to at least only act in such inappropriate nature around her only. Her fingers were cautious as she reached forward, hesitating in the prospect of touching her older sister on such intimate part of her body, and Elsa had taken her hand to press over the lower part of her clothed stomach.

"That's where the baby is, according to the doctor." Not many has the honor of touching the Queen, even less when it came to anything other than her hand, and excluding the professional hands that had checked for the growth of her child, only Hans and now Anna could do the same. The Princess was in awed, marveling the feel of things. "There is where it is currently growing."

"I promise I will be a great aunt, Elsa."

"You better." Her voice was laced with amusement, but she was serious about it. This child deserved to grow in a loving family, one that is warm and would protect it at all cost. And if something was to happen to her, then she would trust no one else but her own sister to care for her child. "I expect no less from you, Anna."

Looking up, the younger sister had scrunched her nose before sticking her tongue out at her direction, unaware of the conflicted feelings that raged within the older, and was rewarded a light bop on her nose.

"You're starting to sound like Mother already."


	21. The Queen's Loves

She never knew that Hans' hands could be so… _magical_.

Working in her study had felt a little too cooped up for her lately, the repetitive view and environment making her brows furrowed, and she had moved up to the library instead, with Hans offering his company to her as he had done his duty down by the docks earlier than expected, which she truly appreciated in exchange of her ladies-in-waiting that she dismissed for the moment, wishing to spend time with her husband without much interruption.

Most of the time, comfortable silence surrounded them.

Hans would sit nearby, reading a book while she worked, offering bits and pieces of advice when she had voiced the troubles that she had come to face with, such as how to deal with Weselton's pressing letters over the fact that –thanks to their Duke's unpleasant treatment to her during the reveal of her magic, their trading relation had been severed. They were extremely reluctant in apologizing, always weaving their words into telling _her_ to let go of the subject, and it had only irritated her further.

Knowing him, she should not have been surprised when he had noticed her silent troubles too, keen eyes had watched her stretching her back and adjusting her posture every now and then as her muscles stretch with the growth of their child, of how she ran her chilled hands over her back to try and soothe the ache.

"Come, sit here with me." He had scooted over to make room on the lounge he was on, patting down the cushion toward her direction, and although he had been unclear on his invitation, she had rose from her seat to approach him, already opening her mouth to question his intention yet he simply move her to sit sideways.

Feeling the firm press against the lower side of her back, she had hummed out her clear pleasure over the treatment as both sat on the lounge inside the library, bathing under the warm sunlight that came through and surrounded by the papers she had brought along with her, smoothing out the tensed muscles under his touch.

"Feeling better?" His chuckle was laced with amusement as he kept massaging her aching back, only receiving a nod as her eyes fluttered close while her lower lip came between the rows of her teeth, urging him to keep going as she released the tension that had affect not only her mind but her body as well.

"How did you learn to do this?"

"Well," his hands had moved to her shoulders by now, and his lips brushed against her ear as he whispered close. "When you are the thirteenth Prince of a kingdom, you ought to learn many things in your spare time."

Or perhaps it was his gift, either way she was thankful for it.

Feeling his hands travelling downwards, finding themselves resting against the curve of her belly, she let herself leaned back against him, head on his shoulder just as he pressed a kiss on her cheek. "I have to go back to work." Her sigh had been half-hearted, lips pursued as his fingers ran over her stomach, only separated by the cloth of her dress, marveling at the shape that had grew as she let her eyes closed. His respond had been a mere hum as he too enjoyed the closeness between the two of them, of how the warmth of his body and the coldness of hers could work so perfectly, so in sync.

With the loss of her need to throw up, came her other _needs_.

Twisting her body to face her husband in the lounge, her lips came to capture his as her hand ran through his auburn hair, curling the strands around her slender fingers as she came to taste his tongue, letting it dance with hers as his hands ran over the sides of her body, eager fingers trying to find an opening through her dress. One hand came to cup around her breast - _grasping_ , sending a jolt of pain that had her pulling away from him.

"My breasts had been tender lately." She explained as she took his hand in hers, leading it down to rest on her waist instead. Their eyes never failed to meet, never advert away from each other, comfortable in the presence of the other. And he had nodded before bringing their lips to meet once again, feeling herself gradually leaning back until her back met with the cushion beneath.

She had not been wearing any corset, had grown too big for it to be laced up without the fear of suffocating herself, and this fact had been closely known by Hans, whose hands had started to push down the dress off her shoulders, lips following the path of the revealed skin while she busied herself in tugging off the jacket that he wore.

"Elsa?" A knock on the door echoed through the library, and her eyes -once closed, had snapped opened as she lifted herself to sit up against her elbows in alarm, one hand on Hans' chest to halt him from moving. "Elsa, are you in there?"

"In a minute!" Scrambling up, as she knew that they were not supposed to be in such position in the library, her hands fumbled with fixing her dress in place, ears catching the sound of the knob starting to turn. "Anna, don't open the door!"

She could imagine her sister's pausing, hand still on the knob, with a frown on her face. "Why not?"

"Just don't!" Avoiding herself from tripping over the books and papers that littered the floor, she made her way toward the door, taking a deep breath to slow the beat of her heart as she opened it, finding the Princess standing at the other side with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, Anna?"

"What are you doing?"

"Working."

Anna's body leaned sideways in her attempt to peer into the library past the older sister who stood right at the doorway, blocking most of the view inside, before she turned her attention back with a light furrow of her brows. "You look a little flustered for someone who had been working."

"Anna, is there something you need?"

Seemingly remembering her initial intention in coming to face her sister, the Princess' suspicion had disappeared so quickly over her face. "The cooks are wondering if you have any preference for dinner." When asked of how she had come with such question, considering that Anna was a princess and no one should ask her favors such as this, she had only shrugged. "I met Gerda on her way to you, so I figured I would help out."

If she had the chance to wish upon a star or a genie coming from a magic lamp then she would wish to be at least half as humble as her younger sister. The fact that Anna could see past ranks and social status, to make everyone feel welcomed and equal in her eyes, always brought a smile on her face. "I want chicken, please."

"I'll tell the cooks then." Anna leaned forward, lips pressing a loving kiss on her cheek that had been completely taken her aback, with a smile. She had turned and started to walk away, only to stop and turn her head to look over her shoulder. "Also, don't forget to lock the doors when you and Hans wish to be alone, Elsa. You might be too 'busy' to hear the knocking next time."

The wink and the mischievous grin that the younger sister had thrown her way had successfully made heat rose onto her face in embarrassment that the Queen had been left gaping without words while she made her escape, running away and turning down the halls with a laugh that was loud enough for people to hear.

Calling after her, either to scold her over her tease or the fact that she still ran through halls she could not decide, would be fruitless as Anna's sound of footsteps and laugh had faded away, thus why she had simply turned around and re-enter the library, shutting the doors behind her, only to find her husband struggling to contain his own laughter as he sat on the lounge, all dressed as if he always been, even his hair was not as tousled as she had left it earlier.

"Don't start." It had come as a warning even before he had a chance to speak, blue eyes narrowing at him as she made her way to sit back down at the desk instead of joining him. "I need to work."

It was more of a reminder to herself than it was to him, if she had to be honest with herself.


	22. Night and Day

It really felt odd.

To stand before the standing mirror, to look at her reflection and yet not recognizing who the woman that was staring right back at her. This woman, with fuller face and belly that now had grown to be on the same level as her breasts –that has actually grown larger, when she had stood to a side, did not feel like _her_. Her fair skin, once described by many as flawless and smooth – _perfect_ , had now had marks over the curve of her stomach from how much it had stretched with the growth of her child no matter how much soothing cream she had her ladies-in-waiting applied to her that Gerda had _promised_ to reduce the markings.

She felt… irritatingly disgusted.

Because she loved her child dearly, she loved this product of love that she and Hans had created and carried within herself with all her heart could possibly offer, she would protect this gift from anyone and anything that come it's way with her own bare hands –magic or no magic; but she _hated_ looking at the mirror to see the changes that her body had undergo. She had barely reached the fourth month and yet she had felt so insecure over her body, leaving her with fear of what she would ended up like when she was near the end of her pregnancy.

"Hans?" Tugging her nightgown down to cover her stomach once again, she had made her way to the bathing chamber, where Hans stood facing another mirror –one nailed to the wall, while he washed his face. He hadn't turn around, simply looking at her reflection as he splashed another handful of water onto his face with a hum. "You… love me, right?"

His eyebrow rose in question, hand grabbing onto the washcloth to dab against his face, drying it. "What a silly question, of course I do."

"Even if I change?"

The silence that came from him had actually made her uneasy as she stood at the doorway. "What is it, Elsa?" But she didn't want another question, she wanted an answer, and she had clearly expressed it in the way she had narrowed her eyes with the press of her lips. He had understood then, and let out a sigh as he turned to face her. "That depends."

Not the answer that she wanted. Her expression had fell then, nodding her head once as she began to turn around and leave. "Good to know."

"Not like that." His fingers came to wrap around her wrist, halting her from leaving, holding her back as he made her turn back around to face him, and she did her best not to look as pathetic as she felt within. "I mean, if you turn into a cold-hearted ruler that thinks only of herself and not of her people, one that rule with cruelty and bring nothing chaos to the kingdom, I would have to consider _then_." Hans and his play of words. Rolling her eyes at his explanation, his free hand had come up to cup against her face, thumb brushing over her cheekbone. "But if you mean _physical_ change, then no, I would never stop loving you for such thing. I know what you're thinking and no, you're not fat."

She had laughed, bitterly, at the last sentence. "Stop lying to yourself."

"Stop doing this to yourself." His lips left a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "Elsa, you're _glowing_ , your body is blossoming with motherhood, and it's beautiful. This," both hands had moved to hold her bump then, gentle touches sending a spark up her spine. "This is our child, this is proof of how _incredible_ you are to bear another human being inside of you, darling."

"You are not going to search for a mistress to replace me, do you?" It was no new news for Kings to turn into having mistresses when their wives were pregnant, to find young women whose body was well-kept and able to satisfy their needs, but she couldn't bear even the _thought_ of having another woman to touch her husband the way she does, to discover each and every detail of his body that she had explored over and over again.

"Of course not." His chuckle, and the way that he smiled at her as he kissed her cheek this time, had prompted for the tiniest of smile to pull at the corner of her lips. "If I have to be honest, the way you look now, pregnant with my child, is actually one of my most favorite view of you."

"Oh?" Her head had tilted to a side with an eyebrow raised, intrigued at his confession as she started to make her way backward toward their bed, hands tugging onto his as to make him follow her. Her attics must have amused him in a way, as his smile did not leave his face at all, it had only widened. "Well I ought to-" her words came to an abrupt stop, so did her steps, eyes blinking repeatedly as she held her breath.

"Elsa, is there something wrong?"

Teasing and loving assurance had melted right off his voice, replaced with worry, as he watched her closely, trying to determine the cause of the sudden change in her. But she had simply placed his hand on the very same spot where she had felt it, how _real_ it was, and waited. Another nudge coming from within and she finally looked up at him, hopeful eyes as she truly wished that he had felt that.

"Was that… a kick?" So he felt that then. Nodding rather excitedly, she had to bite down on her lower lip to prevent herself from actually _screaming_. She had felt flutters here and there, faint and could only be noticed when she was truly paying attention, but this one was different. This one felt strong and really was a kick more than just a mere shift. "Our child just kicked!"

Insecurities and fear had basically been thrown out of the window at this point, replaced entirely with excitement of the new discovery and development that their child had undergo while it's mother had been such a silly woman to even question her husband of his devotion, and together they had moved onto their bed, sitting down as they waited for another kick, hands joined together over the crest of her belly.

"Don't you see, Elsa? There is nothing for you to worry about."

* * *

The docks smelled strongly of salt.

Thick in the air and from the barrels of fishes that lined the morning fish market as her heels clicked against the grey stone flooring, men and women parting as they made their way for her to pass through, guards following close behind and at ready should someone was to be foolish enough to jump against the Queen.

Kai had come through the doors leading into the Dining Hall, in such urgency as he excused himself for interrupting the royal family's breakfast, before he made his way toward her, leaning until he could whisper of the news that he had received from a guard, one that had made her nodded her head before she had turned her attention toward the two who sat at the table with her, and with a sigh had told them that she had to leave far earlier for there was some business that she had to attend to.

The man that Kai had told of his sudden presence in Arendelle was sitting on a wooden barrel, head hung low, with two guards standing by his side to make sure he did not attempt to leave before he met her.

"Queen Elsa," his voice was hoarse as he looked up to see her, eyes wide as he scrambled up onto his feet, her guards moving uneasily in turn of the sudden movement, though she had only held up her hand to assure them not to take any unnecessary action. "Your Majesty, oh do forgive me for being such a rude interruption-"

"Please, there is no need for an apology." She understood his reasons for being so nervous around her, those who were approached by the monarch herself tend to do so, and she could not waste any moment in knowing the truth. "Was the news that has reaches me true? Has there been a pirate attack in the waters?"

Nodding his head so quickly he may as well have his mind spinning, his eyes turned toward his boat, docked nearby with damages that she could only assume came from the attack. "They came and took everything from me, I was lucky to be at their mercy and able to come to the nearest kingdom I could reach."

If Arendelle had been the nearest kingdom, as he had put it, then the pirates would have been closer to their borders than she would have like, posing a possible threat to her people and the trading partners that would sail with goods meant for the kingdom, taking it all before they could reach the safety of Arendelle's docks, bringing the kingdom into a difficulties and loss of costs.

"Help with the repairs of his boat." It was a given order to the guards, one that they had dutifully nodded to, a rare giving for a kingdom to offer to a man that did not even supposed to be docking in her waters. Turning her attention back to the said man, she had offered him a small smile. "You are welcome to stay until then, my men will provide a place for you at the inn."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you!" He was in a brink of tearing up, from what she could see, and she did not have a heart to abandon such helpless man, he was merely a fisherman trying to live his life, such unfortunate fate that brought him here and it would be cruel for her to only make him suffer more. "Bless you and your child, Your Majesty!"

She had already turned and begin walking away when he had called out his blessing, and at the mention of her child, her hands could not help but come to hold onto her bump, feeling the curve under her touch. Her guards followed her back to her carriage as she was to return back to the castle, and once again people parted ways to let her through, bowing their heads in respect.

"Send forth the Captain of the guard to my study. I would like to speak with him."

 **The first half had not been planned, but a certain review gave me the idea, so thank you! Also, YuiUsagi111, Anna's 20 now in this story, she's been living with a married couple for two years, she ought to know about those things by now XD And, enough fluff guys, time for some drama.**


	23. Bitter Taste of Truth

**"Casually sadistic over tragedies" oh Guest, I love that description of me, I need to use that as my bio somewhere XD And yes, another update and it's not even 24 hours yet, crazy right? This is what happened when I have assignments, my brain just go 'nope' and insist on writing instead.**

"Close the door and sit down."

The Captain of the guard had come earlier, shoulders and back straight as he stood before her with his hands clasped behind him while she sat had sat behind her desk, at ready as she had thrown him the question and the demand for answer right away. She did not wish to waste time on such urgent matters, the faster she had her answers the better, she could think over what to do once she had the explanation of _why_.

Yet the answer that he had provided her had only made her brows furrowed and her blood had started to boil already, for she did not expect such reveal that had her thanking the Captain before dismissing him.

And she called for Hans instead.

He had entered with a knock, auburn head poking inside through the opening of the door, displaying such _lie_ on his face that she could not resist the bite in her voice as she had invite him in the most unexpected order, and he had furrowed his own brows then, noticing how she had no affection in her tone. He deserved it that much.

"Elsa, what do you-?"

A hand raised to halt him, blue eyes narrowed as she glared at him. She was not in the mood for acts and sweet lies, she was Queen and she took none of it. She would have also scolded him for speaking before she could, but there was no time for that, not when her fingers had curled beneath the table, frost started to itch at the tips of them. "Stop pretending and start explaining."

"Of what, darling?"

Her teeth gritted at his use of a pet name in such situation. Yes, he hasn't quite aware of the troubles that he was now in, but honestly her tone and rigid figure could explain him as much as to not take her in any way but seriousness today. "The pirates, Hans."

When the word had come through her lips, his expression fell, he was caught off-guard. "I don't understand." Wrong choice of path to still pretend, really, for she had to bite her tongue back to keep herself from cursing him. "Elsa-"

"Stop. The Captain of the guard had explained _everything_ , and truly Hans, you are such a great liar." She was foolish enough as it is to _not_ put her mind into the signs that had appeared before her, had should have seen the flags that were raised when things had not gone smoothly, but no she chose to trust her husband instead. And she regretted every single moment of it. "The Spain having to reroute due to them facing some ' _minor'_ problems? Last time I checked, pirate sighting has not been a _'minor problem'_."

His mouth opened, perhaps to try and explain himself or to still deny it all, and she didn't want this. She gave him a warning with another raise of her hand, silencing him.

"There were other reports besides that one, Hans, but I received _none_." Because, according to the Captain, Hans had been the one to order them to report to _him_ , fooling them by saying that he would be the one to give the reports back to _her_. They had been foolish, yes, but it was understandable for them to believe him, after all he was the Prince Consort, the husband of the Queen, surely he would dedicate himself to Arendelle as much as the rest of them. "You are well aware that I can't take actions when I have been kept in the dark."

"I'm just trying to help you." But she didn't need saving, his help as well as Anna's were supposedly still involve her, and he had taken a step over the boundary she thought she had drawn clear. "Stress is not good for you, especially in your condition now."

"The Spain was way before I even got pregnant, Hans!" Her voice rose, both because he kept trying to make her _understand_ his actions and also because he even dared to use her current condition against her; yet she was quick to compose herself back up, putting back the icy mask she had on her expression. "I'm wrong, Hans, I'm wrong to think that you are different. I thought that you would never treat me like my Council does, belittle me because I am a mere woman with a crown. But no, in your eyes I am also just a helpless damsel that need saving from people such as yourself." He was a man that she truly trusted, the one she was willing to open up to more than anyone else, naïvely thinking that he was truly the one person that would have treated her like equals. "If only you had done what you are _supposed_ to do then perhaps I would have been able to solve this a long time ago!"

"There, did you even hear yourself, Elsa?" There was a change in his tone, as well as in his face –although hard to notice nor to know what it was, voice firm and no longer laced with the attempt to calm her. "It is always about _you_ and you alone. This is one of your most fatal point. You would rather handle things alone, _drown_ yourself trying to be selfless, when truly all you have done is making yourself be selfish by not accepting help from those who loves and cares for you."

His words cut like a blade across her heart, truth that she did not wish to admit to spilling out of his mouth and tasting like a bitter venom, a new taste of anger bubbling like hot fire in her heart as frost began to form at the corners of the windows along with the decreasing of the temperature around them. "Enough." Her voice was merely above a whisper, eyes glaring at his green ones and yet he did not back off.

"You build walls around yourself over and over again no matter how many times people try to break it down because frankly, you would rather be alone, don't you?"

"I said, ENOUGH!" She had shot up to her feet then, hands slamming against the surface of her desk, ice shooting wildly from under her touch with a blast of cold air exploding. Her breath came in a pant, heart pounding against her chest as she had not _snapped_ like this in a long time as she shot ice-cold daggers at him by her mere stare. "Get out."

He spoke no word as he stood up, mist coming from him when he breathed warm breath, and he had turned around and head for the door without much of a nod to her, shutting the door behind him once he had stepped out and left.

Lowering herself back into her seat, she leaned back against it as the rush of adrenaline slowly decreased, and with it, she began to notice the lightheaded sensation that began to overtake her. She had eaten during breakfast, and although it was interrupted but she had finished more than a half of her plate, she was sure of it. Pressing her fingers against her temple –she didn't even bother to dismiss of the ice surrounding her, she began to slowly massaged it, knowing fully well that a migraine would have surfaced anytime now.

Yet it was a sudden shot of pain through her abdomen that came, sending her into sucking in a sharp breath, arms quickly covering her abdomen as her body bowed forward. That was not supposed to happen, and it made her stiffened with a gasp. Looking around, she almost cursed in the fact that she had her ladies-in-waiting dismissed following the meeting. Pushing herself up, she followed in Hans' trail toward the door, though she had headed down the halls to where her bedchamber was.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice was laced with concern, perhaps from seeing how the Queen had slightly hunched forward as she walked, a hand pressed against the wall as she leaned for support, yet she lingered in where she stood. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Anna." She had managed to speak, though barely. "I just need to rest."

"Do you want me to-?"

"No." Cutting in before her sister could even finish her offer, she had shook her head in refusal. "It's alright, please, just… leave me alone, Anna." As ironic as it was, she truly did not want her sister to come and _pester_ her after her earlier clash with her husband, didn't want her to get involved in what had come of their marriage.

The Princess lingered, she could feel turquoise eyes on her, but she spoke no further. The lightheaded sensation came crashing back down on her, blurring her vision and causing her to lose the feel of her limbs, feeling gravity pulling her down onto the wooden flooring as her vision darkened. Though she did feel arms catching her before her body met the floor, or at least slowing and cushioning her fall as Anna was overwhelmed and unable to support the weight of her sister.

"Elsa!"

 **Don't you guys just love cliffhanger?**


	24. The Distance Between Us

**This chapter used to be longer, but the other part is growing too long that I decided to just split them into two. So yeah, I have two chapters ready, actually, and will update the other one tomorrow, I think.**

 _"...her unique ability is nothing I have ever seen before."_

 _"Be patience with her."_

Blinking, it took her a moment to realize that her bedchamber was rather dim, shadows coming from the lit candles dancing on the walls. Her head felt heavy, groggy even though she had been asleep for quite some time, ears catching the hushed whispers from those conversing at one corner of the room, backs turned to her that she could not register who they were. Turning her head to the other side, she noticed how the sky outside her window had darkened, blinking stars in the distance.

She…had fallen unconscious, had she not?

Her heart had suddenly pound against her chest with the memory and the realization, body shooting up to sit as her hands scrambled to toss the covers off her body, running over her pregnant belly as she searched for the movements she often felt coming from her child, fearing that after the pain that she had suffered earlier…

"Hey, hey, it's okay." Anna had come approaching her, noticing the panic-stricken Queen had woken up, sitting down on the bed beside her as her hand caught one of hers. "The baby's fine, Elsa, it's there, nothing's wrong."

Releasing the breath she had been holding, her shoulders relaxed as she indeed had felt the small nudge under her hand. Her child was fine, just like what Anna had said, and that she had not lose the one thing she held dear. "Oh God, Anna, I-" her eyes landed on the auburn haired Prince who stood at the foot of the bed, narrowing at the sight of him as her tone had dramatically changed. "What are you doing here?"

"If I remembered correctly, this is also still my bedchamber." She caught the sight of Anna turning her head at his direction when he spoke out of the corner of her eyes, and somehow it had made him sighed before he turned his attention back at her. "Elsa, is it wrong for me to worry over the well-being of my wife and unborn child?"

Considering the fact that he –though she knew did not mean for this to happened, had been the one who had caused her to fall under the crushing tension that could have cost them both the well-being of their child then no, it was not wrong for him to. Her rational mind had kept her from coming with a biting answer, yet it was not enough to keep her from being hostile. "You are, by far, the last person I wish to speak to at the moment, Hans."

Green eyes glancing up at the Princess before meeting back with his wife's blue ones, she had not expected him to simply sigh and nodded, keeping himself silent. Odd.

"Your Majesty," the doctor's voice had broken the stare between the two as she had turned over his call for her. "I highly advise for you to take as much rest tomorrow and refrain yourself from stress." She made a move to object, seeing that a Queen's job would never end –and there was the thing with the pirates, but the look at both her husband and sister had given her had made her to bite her tongue down. "And there is this thing with your powers." Now this, she could not help but question. Her powers had never been much of a problem for her now, as she was able to take control of it, had accepted it as part of herself that she could not go without. "Well, I believe that it has something to do with your abdominal pain earlier."

"I don't understand."

The middle-aged man had taken off his glasses, wiping the clear surface with a handkerchief before putting it back onto his face. "Seeing that you had an _outburst_ before you suffer from the pain, I believe it would unwise if you use your powers during the length of your pregnancy. Any use bigger than this could have caused much more… damage."

Her eyes casted down, to where her child rested within her, the one thing that she was to nurse and protect. Running her hand from the crest of it and down to the lower part, she had prompted the babe to shift with her touch. "You are saying that my powers could… _kill_ my child?" When her eyes had shifted back up to see the faces of those who surround her, to see the bleak expression they had, she did not need any other confirmation to know that what she said had been true.

"I wouldn't dare to confirm it, seeing that your unique abilities are nothing that I ever encounter before but-"

"We would rather be safe." Anna had interrupted, with a warm reassuring smile shot her way as her hand come to rest on her sister's belly. "The baby is strong, just like you, but we shouldn't be _pushing_ it. I mean, not until the time comes when you do have to push it out, you know."

She thanked the doctor then, as he had no other business been there –though promising that should he was needed then he would return, and the atmosphere surrounding them had calmed down along with the relief that the Queen and her child had not been harmed in any way. Servants began making their ways out, bringing along the things unneeded to be in the Queen's bedchambers, until there was no one else but the royal family.

Anna had leaned forward, pressing a kiss down her cheek. "Talk to him." She had whispered to her ear, so quietly the older sister was the only one able to hear her, before she had stood up with a smile. "Goodnight, Elsa."

Once left alone, Hans had shifted in his position, eyes averting away from her, hands remaining clasped behind his back. "I'm sorry, for everything I have said." Meeting hers, he had blinked as his jaw tightened when he had received no answer from her. "I would… sleep in the guest room, then."

"Stay." She had been silent, but seeing how he had turned and started to the door, the word had escaped her lips before she could think. "This is still your bedchamber too, right?" That and, no matter how much she didn't wish to admit it openly, she had been sleeping with a figure by her side for two years by now, to imagine her alone on such large bed had unsettled her.

He watched her for a moment, perhaps waiting if she would have changed her mind, and when she didn't he had nodded and began to undress. She moved to lie on her side, as her belly had grown large enough for it to be uncomfortable for her to be on her back throughout the night, nearing the edge of the mattress as she tugged the covers back over herself, facing away from him.

Feeling the sinking of the mattress under his weight, she had shut her eyes while she 'watched' him preparing himself by the moves that he made until he was lying down in his side of the bed. An arm came over her, a move to wrap itself around her body. "Please don't." She allowed him to stay, yet it didn't mean that things had gone back to normal for them. "Just… not now, please."

Throughout the night though, she had regrets of not having his arms around her, for the covers could not provide enough warmth to soothe their restless child.

 **And please, put down the torches and the pitchforks, I didn't make her have a miscarriage, you guys can reschedule the witch hunt for my head lol.**


	25. No One Defies the Queen

She could not sit still.

Despite the doctor's advice for her to rest for the whole day, she had come down from her bedchambers, dress far simpler than what she used in wearing, lighter and more comfortable while still attaining the proper regality that the Queen should possess. She had scowled when she had woken up to find that her breakfast had been brought up to her room, such unnecessary gesture yet she didn't speak much of it, knowing that her ladies-in-waiting were merely following orders.

She had been informed that the ice that had come from yesterday's outburst had been cleaned up by the servants, for she was not even allowed to flick her wrist to dismiss of it, and some of her paperwork had suffered through minor damages from the melting ice, but she was told not to worry over it.

Besides, her study was not where she was headed for.

She may not be as rebellious as Anna could be should she wished to, yet there was still a spark of disagreement that came within her over the fact that she was not allowed to do _anything_. Treating her like a helpless china doll had done nothing but raise her desire to smash.

"Gentlemen," her head had been raised high when Kai had opened the door for her, announcing her presence at those standing around the table and overlooking the map that had been laid over it's surface. It was already scheduled that a meeting over what actions had to be taken regarding the looming pirates would take place today, and although her Council had accepted the reason behind the large possibility that she could not attend, she personally feel that she should not miss it.

"Elsa, what are you doing here?" The auburn haired Prince had come approaching her, meeting her halfway and yet could not stop her from making her way toward the table. "You are not supposed to attend."

"This is my kingdom." Her hands were pressed against the surface of the map as she leaned forward to overlook it, to see where Arendelle was and where the ship model for the pirates was placed, too close for her liking. "You do still need _my_ permission to take action."

Reluctantly, Hans had nodded as he came to stand by her side, creating a small distance between the two, and she noticed how his hand did not even try to touch the small of her back. He was threading carefully with how much personal space that she wanted, and strangely enough she could not decide on how she should feel about it. She appreciated it, but the missing casual touches between them felt odd.

Continuing with meeting, she listened closely of how they had predicted the route that the pirates had taken based on the reports of sighting along the kingdom's borders. They were coming near their waters indeed, situated between Arendelle and the Southern Isles. The thought that they may be bold enough to pillage and plunder either kingdoms was what they concerned the most.

"We should send a letter to the Southern Isles." They were neighboring after all, close allies considering the marriage between the Queen and the youngest Prince, and if anything should happen, if it ever come to the worst, then both kingdoms must be at ready to face it _together_.

"Don't bother." Hans had responded, rather bitterly, eyes narrowing. "The Southern Isles' navy could handle pirates with no trouble."

Her brows furrowed at this, at how hostile her husband was against his own kingdom and family. He had even expressed a certain reluctance when she had told him that they _must_ write a letter his family regarding the conceiving of their child months ago, scowling when she had received the congratulating gifts sent back their way. "Hans, it's a must. We still have to send aid to them no matter what." Because then if _they_ needed help then the other kingdom would do the same.

It was his turn to furrow his brows as he turned to look at her, but once again he did not make a move to speak against her. There had been something that occurred to him after her incident, perhaps involving her sister seeing that they had somehow exchanged looks once or twice last night, and she would have to find out what.

"And the course of action that we are to take, Your Majesty?"

"I will go." Hans had cut in before she could even muster a word to respond to the Captain of the guard, not even throwing a glance at her. "Our navy will guard the waters and be ready should it come to a fight. I will lead them."

"Wait, what? No!" How could he even have decided on such course of action already without the slightest of discussion with her, as Queen and as his _wife_? Had he really, truly, thrown himself into the line of fire, knowing fully well that he would leave her and their unborn child behind and worrying him for every second that he was away? "You will not go."

"Elsa, I'm an Admiral, I can lead the navy the same way that I have been leading the Southern Isles'." Oh there it was then, the argumentative side of him that had been strangely missing earlier, hiding and waiting for this one moment. "Be reasonable."

"I am." She turned her body entirely to him, one hand leaning against the table as the other rested on the crest of her belly. "Arendelle has it's own Admiral, Hans, the _husband of the Queen_ does not have to participate directly into a matter regarding pirates."

Green eyes narrowed in a challenging manner at her direction, the Queen and Prince Consort were engaged in a moment of silent staring battle, daring one another to speak up, before his mouth had opened. "Tell me, Sir Martinus," his head turned to regard the official Admiral of the kingdom, and the man had straightened up at the sudden call. "How many pirates have you faced before?"

"I…" glancing at the Queen, who's brows had furrowed as she too had turned to await for his answer, he had gulped before turning back to the auburn haired man. "None, Your Highness. Arendelle is a peaceful kingdom, we have never faced such threat before, at least not during my time."

The _smugness_ coming from Hans could be seen by bare eyes as he turned with a winning smile at his wife while she, on the other hand, had to resist the urge to glare at Sir Martinus, for he had only spoken the truth, no matter how it had gone against her wish. "I sunk five ships during my time with the Southern Isles' navy. _I_ go."

"No." Catching the look of how his expression fell after her short answer as she had turned around, she had ignored his call of her name and the stares of disbelief that was thrown at her way by the men that had just witnessed their argument. She didn't wish to argue further, to strain herself all over again, and there will be further discussions that she had to attend later, yes, but for now she was to cool herself down, and to give Hans to think over what he had basically decided for them.

Besides, no one can defy the Queen.

 **A fellow Helsa shipper once pointed out one of Helsa fanfics' 'flaw's, which is the plot where Elsa had Hans brought back to Arendelle to be her Admiral and such, while surely Arendelle would have an Admiral of it's own, right? It got me thinking, "Well, yeah, that's kinda true". So that's why I threw that bit with Sir Martinus there ;)**


	26. Heavens Above, Earth Below

The moment he walked in, she knew they were _not_ going straight to bed.

Mattress sinking under his weight as he sat himself at the edge of the bed, right by her side, she didn't need to turn her head toward him to see the face that he had made out of the corner of her eyes. He was preparing himself for another attempt of persuasion and she, in turn, prepared for another round of declines as she lowered her book to finally look at him.

"Elsa,"  
"No."

Their words came in unison, a gentle tone of a husband calling for his wife's name clashing with the firm one of a Queen's refusal, and at this time she had also noticed the differences between their eyes. His was wide, calm as he gave her his entire patience, while hers had narrowed impatiently, for she had grown tired of trying to make him understand.

Even now, when she had blatantly expressed her refusal, his will to continue on was still burning fiercely.

With a hand placed over her stomach –her eyes had automatically glanced down to watch his gesture before looking back up to him, he had only given her a soft sigh as his thumb moved to rub circles over the nightgown she was wearing. "Please hear me out?"

"Fine." If he had to speak then she would listen, it was the least that she could do for he had always listened to _her_ –it was a little cruel for her to cut him off, but what could he say that would be able to change her mind? To comfort her and her heart enough to be able to let him go? "Speak then."

"Arendelle doesn't stand the same chance as the Southern Isles when it comes to the army, Elsa." A quite blatant blow, if she was to be honest, but she had refrained herself from opening her mouth to argue with him. No, she had to give him a chance to explain _fully_. "I have watched them and I had read the history book in the library, the secluded position that Arendelle is in had made sure that you face little to no danger at all, and that is great until it isn't. Your army train, yes, but have they truly face a real dire situation? They need a leader."

He had taken great attention to details of the kingdom that he was not even born into, had studied it like it was the most natural thing to do. She was sure that should she had been married to another, her husband would not bother himself to dedicate himself to the level that Hans was in. For Odin's sake, he even studied the terrain and how her army had trained.

She leaned forward and off the headboard she had been resting against, finding the slight difficulty that has started to arise with the growth of her child, eyes never leaving his. "Then train them, and _only_ train them." That would not have pose any sort of danger against him, he would be safe behind the castle's walls. " _That,_ I would allow you."

Green eyes studied her now, keen as he did his best in reading her while the she had kept on the mask she was hiding behind, of the strict and firm face of the Queen, trying to coax her to come out and spill herself before him. "What is it that you are afraid of? Tell me."

Their confrontation replayed in her mind, of the words thrown at her, of the bitter taste of truth that she would not admit to anyone before. She had been building walls around her, had hid herself behind masks and gloves, to conceal and to not feel.

"I'm afraid of being alone."

"I would never let that happen." His hand came to cup her face now, brushing over the apple of her cheek, and had moved to brush over her lips when she had moved to object, gentle calloused finger over her soft lips. "I would never leave you."

 _Please, do you have to go? I can't do this on my own._ "Don't lie." _You can, we must. I'm proud of you, Elsa._ "Please don't do this to me." _I'll try not to let you down, Father._ "Not again."

It was his turn to lean forward then, closing the distance between them until their foreheads touched, both of their eyes fluttered close with such closeness. He was well aware of the tragedy that had befallen the late King and Queen of Arendelle, he knew of her fear of the deep water of the ocean, a man like him would understand of her paranoia of the idea of him being away from her.

"You carry my heart and I carry yours," it was barely above whisper when he spoke, warm breath against her skin before words turned into a chaste kiss that had lasted for only the shortest of moment. "I swear, on the Heavens above and the Earth down below, that nothing will keep me away from returning to you."

She caved.

There was the safety of her people at hand, their peace and the prosperity of her kingdom, he would have to go and train her navy every day that it would be difficult for them to spend their time together; her desire of keeping her husband safe clashed against her purpose at being Queen, and for this one she had to trust him. He made his promise and he would never break it. She held that over him.

"You better." Her arms came to wrap around his neck, holding him in place should he ever thought of leaving before she could truly make sure that he was to fulfill his promise. "Or I will never forgive you." Both had opened their eyes now, and at such small distance she could see the details in his green eyes, of the flecks of gold amongst the emerald color, of the pull at the corner of his eyes when he had smiled.

"Wouldn't that be disastrous?"

* * *

"Anna threatened to punch me in the eye."

Brows furrowing at her husband's choice of discussion, for they were barely even awake in the quiet morning as both laid in bed, unwilling to start their day yet and would rather wait for the servants to come instead, for then they would have no other choice but to get ready; she had turned her head to look at him, who only had a small amused smile offered up to her. "What?"

"When you were unconscious due to-" he stopped with his words, and she didn't have the need for him to continue to understand what he was referring to, neither of them had felt comfortable enough to explicitly discuss it, the subject too bitter to come to taste in their mouths. "She basically warned me of it if I didn't apologize."

"What _exactly_ did she said?" She was intrigued now, to know how her sister could have even came up with such threat against the Prince, the Admiral Westergaard that was highly respected amongst everyone in the castle, and able to make him succumbed under her.

There was a moment of silence as his lips were pressed in a thin line before he had opened his mouth, and yet it was only an amused chuckle that came. "I can't tell. You will scold her."

"Well, if she had used any sort of inappropriate language then-"

Another round of laughter had cut through her words, and she frowned for the reaction he had given her when she was clearly being serious over the matter. Hans had turned to his side then, facing her, and had given a light kiss on her lips to silence her. "Darling, Anna is just being protective of her beloved older sister, let her be. There was no harm done."

Not yet. There was a chance though. "I'm glad, that you and Anna could share such friendship." There was an initial fear within her of jealousy, especially coming from her sister, where she would view her marriage with Hans –of how she would spend her life with him, that would stir the feel of being left out and forgotten. Yet to see her boundless love so apparent still for the older sister, she wanted to scold herself for even doubting Anna like so.

They were family, after all.


	27. Like a Flip of a Coin

**Writer's block sucks. I literally have nothing to do but I can't write for days.**

What was this feeling that she had?

Mind unable to focus on the writings written in dark ink from the paperwork that pilled on her desk –of various reports and letters that she was supposed to read over, that she could not continue in working properly and instead had rose onto her feet, feeling the frustration bubbling up from knowing that she was, in her Council's word, _'slacking off'_. When she had moved to stand by the window, overlooking the blue water that surrounded the half portion of Arendelle, her blue eyes had darted back and forth in search of her husband, yet it was futile as for the distance between them would not make it possible for her event the keenest eyes to see.

But she knew he was down there, either donning his Admiral uniform that he had left the castle with in the morning or had discarded it to match the men he was to train. Arendelle was entering the winter season, yet she would not be surprised if he had taken off his heavy jacket, for the heat and sweat that his body produce would warm him enough. He was down there, working with his knowledge and skill to share with her navy so that their kingdom would be safe, while she was stuck up in her study, with walls securing her and those inside with her, and she was restless.

Of the thought that the pirates would come and taken them by surprise, when her navy was not ready, when _no one_ was, and that Hans, no matter how sharp-witted he may be, would be overwhelmed by it. He was a noble man, she knew he would not leave one man behind if he could help it, and the fear of one man's life saved in exchange of his gnawed on her mind from the inside out.

Her babe kicked then, as if knowing exactly of the negative thoughts that plagued it's mother's mind, or perhaps it had just sensed on how tensed she had become, either way the gesture had broken her train of thought as she had turned to look down, running a soothing hand from the crest of her belly down to the lower part of it, feeling her child moved along with the touch within her womb.

"Papa will be home soon." It was his day-to-day duty now, to go down to the docks to train in the morning after breakfast and only returning late at night as he wished to waste no time in his wake, though it did take the toll of him being utterly exhausted that they would barely have the chance to talk. She had been missing him, yes, but she understood of the reasoning behind it –she was also the one who had officially decided on the course of action, and she had her own responsibilities to mind and her sister to accompany her. Yet their child, who could not yet comprehend with the situation at hand, had been impatient with Hans' prolonged lack of presence, of the feel of his hands and the soft voice he would whisper against her belly as if the two were sharing secrets; and thus had reflected the similar restlessness as it's mother, one that often made it hard for her to sleep soundly at night.

Glancing at the pilling paperwork at her desk and the bottle of ink that was left unopened even after she had been sitting in her study for at least an hour or two, her lips had pursed. She was in no mood to continue to work, not when her mind had been so occupied with other things that could risk her not fully understanding of the reports she was supposed to look over, and she had made her way past her desk, heading for the door instead.

Her ladies-in-waiting dutifully followed close behind, to wherever it was she was heading for as she walked down the halls, nodding her head as passing servants took a moment out of their rush to bow at her presence, though even she could not explicitly tell where she was going. Eventually her feet had taken her to stand in front of the door for the recreational room, and she had turned to one of the ladies, requesting for Anna to be called upon, before she had entered.

Anna came with rushed steps and the Queen's poor lady calling out that it was not something alarming as she desperately trying to catch up with the Princess' pace, coming to a stop at the door, gasping for breath while the older sister had rose her eyebrow in question as she sat at the piano.

"Have you been running?"

"No…?"

A blatant lie, one she didn't even bother to discuss further, as hand came to pat down the spot beside her, inviting the younger to join her. Though she highly regretted the decision. There was a bizarre smell coming from the Princess, one that was not _that_ strong, but it was noticeably there and stinging her nose that she had held herself the best she could to _not_ use her fingers to pinch her nostrils together. "Where have you been?"

"Huh?" Anna was clearly taken aback by the question, did not expecting for it to be asked perhaps, and had not prepared herself to answer. "Uh… with Kristoff." Both of them was aware that Ice Harvesters only harvested ice during the summer season, thus Anna had no business in meeting him for reports that she would overlook and bring back to the Queen. "He's uh… he's actually quite nice, Elsa."

"I see." It must have been the smell of his reindeer, as the Princess had once told her that Kristoff and his reindeer Sven was a package, they barely ever go separated ways unless completely necessary –like facing the Queen for example, and thus the musk must have lingered onto her dress. "Although, I do remember someone protesting about their partnership with him not long ago."

The strawberry blonde haired Princess had scowled then, especially after seeing the amused smile tugging on the corners of the Queen's lips, rolling her eyes. "Yes, I know, I know, drop the subject already." Her eyes had glanced over at the piano then, of how her sister's fingers were resting comfortably on the ivory keys. "Oh, are you going to play something?"

"Honestly, I was wondering if _you_ would like to play."

"Me? Oh no, I can't." Anna's laugh had a hint of embarrassment in it, though her face was bright still as she grinned up at her sister, flush of pink adoring her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose. "I don't have the patience, and frankly neither does Sir Gunnar."

She remembered the man, he was also her music tutor if only for a little while, back when she still had the smallest of courage to be with others even with fear of her magic, and had briefly taught the younger sister too, although Anna was far too impatient to sit for hours. "Would you like to learn?" She was, in no mean, a proper teacher, but she could share the basics of knowledge, whether Anna would actually wish to continue on or not would be up for her to decide herself eventually.

"As much as I like to, Elsa, I don't think that's necessary." Anna had turned and leaned her back against her sister's side, head tilted up until it rested against the Queen's shoulder as she blew her bangs out of her eyes with a huff. "I would rather hear you play. And sing. Please?"

Why is it that everyone seemed to like her singing? Hans had expressed his own desire to hear her sing over and over again after he had heard her for the first time years ago during her practice up in the mountains, and no matter how many times she had hummed a song or two for him as he laid himself right beside her growing stomach as her fingers combed through his hair, he still did not grow bored of it. Anna had heard her sing once on the piano, when she thought she was alone, and it seemed that it intrigued her enough.

"Fine, just this once-"

"Your Majesty!" The harsh swing of door opening had took each of those in the recreational room by surprise as heads turned to look at the source of voice after hearing the urgency laced within it, to see a guard standing there with gasping breath. Whatever it was the news that he brought must have been so important that he had found the need to barge in, and understanding this, the thought of scolding him did not even cross her mind. "The pirates have entered Arendelle's waters. Prince Hans had returned to the castle to prepare, he said that-"

"Where is he now?" She did not even waited for him to continue, already raising onto her feet as she walked around the piano bench, leaving her spot the moment that her husband's name was mentioned. Anna had stood up, joining her older sister at her side, hand brushing against her own between them.

"At the entrance hall, Your Majesty."

"I'll come with you."

The Princess had taken hold of her hand as she spoke, yet Elsa had shook her head as she let her hand slipped out of her grasp. "No, Anna, I need you to make the order for the people to return to their homes immediately. Hans would keep the conflict in the waters, but I would like to be safe rather than sorry."

Seeing the seriousness in the Queen's face and words, the strawberry blonde haired Princess had nodded dutifully. "Alright, be careful, mind your step, Elsa." And she was off, just like that, right after she was reminded that she was to return back into the safety of the castle's walls right after she had done her duty.

Turning her attention back at the guard that still stood by the doorway, she straightened her back and shoulders, standing tall. "Take me to my husband."


	28. One Hope

**My God, you guys are dark when it comes to what could happen XD**

Keeping her expression straight, she approached him.

Hans was standing there, so handsome under the bright sunlight, basking on it's warmth as he fixed the cuff of his jacket while servants and guards come and go in such rush to prepare the castle itself, eyes narrowed when a particular light stream had been too bright for him. He didn't see her come, or hear her steps, for there was too much of a ruckus that happened between the two of them. It was only when she had stood in front him, hands reaching up to fix the collar of his shirt that he looked up, though she had avoided into looking right into the depth of his green eyes, instead fixating her gaze on the her work at hand.

His hand came to rest on her jaw, thumb running over the apple of her cheek, and yet still she refused to see him in the eye. She didn't want to show the pain she hid behind her mask, she knew he could already see it, and she had promised not to intervene in this, as both knew fully well that her words alone could stop him from going.

"Elsa," his voice was gentle as his fingers moved to hold her chin, tilting her head up until she had no choice but to look at him. "I will return before you know it."

But how could he, when she would have counted every second of his departure, for her mind to wonder day and night of what he was doing and if he was alright, of whether he was succeeding in protecting their kingdom. Sighing, she let her arms wrap around his neck, pulling him down as she embraced him as close she possibly could, to keep him near and to not let go, just for a moment.

"You have a wife," she didn't know why she had the need to remind him of such thing as she pulled away, but she did. As a warning for him to care for himself, to not be reckless, and to return safely back into her arms. "And a child on it's way. Remember that."

"A week. Fortnight, at most."

"If you dare come home even _a day_ later than that, you shall sleep on the couch."

His smile warmth her heart as he gave her a kiss on the lips, gentle and quick as they were still in the eye of the public, and yet she could feel the genuine love behind it still. "Yes, ma'am." Both knew she would not have the heart to kick him out in such way, yet still he had played along. Coming down onto his knee, his gloved hands come to rest on the sides of her stomach, lips pressing against the clothed surface, prompting the child within her to shift and nudge. "Take care of your Mama for me, will you? She can get quite lonely sometimes." With her hands straightening his black epaulets on either of his shoulders, she smiled as she watched him interact with their child.

"Your Highness!" The Captain of guard had been the one to call out for the Prince, making both royalties turn as Hans rose back onto his feet. "It is time."

Taking both her hands, he brought them up to his lips, kissing them as his green eyes did not leave hers. "I will be off now, My Queen."

"Protect our kingdom, Admiral."

* * *

"Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight?"

She had tossed and turned in her own bed, sheet tangling between her limbs, and yet her eyes had remained wide opened. She was exhausted, she wanted to sleep, to slip into a peaceful slumber while her babe had been such a nice one and did not move around so much, yet at the same time she _couldn't_. It felt… wrong, to lay in bed all by herself, having the wide mattress for her own without a warm figure by her side, with the knowledge that when she rolled over there wouldn't be an arm for her to hold onto.

Thus why she had pushed herself back up, tugging on the silk gown as she made her way to the door. Through the small opening she had peeked out, finding the hallways quiet and empty under the pale moonlight that streamed through the windows, and when she was assured that no one was out there, she had stepped outside and closing the door behind her with a soft click.

It took her sister a moment to answer her door after she had knocked, she was already thankful that the quiet knocking could even wake her, and when she did there was a pang of guilt that she had interrupted her. Anna's hair was disheveled already, coming toward various directions, while her expression had been one heavy with sleep, eyes barely even opened.

"Sure." The strawberry blonde haired Princess had yawned out, arm stretched up into the air before she had opened her door wider and stepped aside, allowing the older to enter. "You can sleep here for as long as you would like."

Anna climbed onto her bed without much more of a word, puffing her own pillow after she had spared two for her sister to take, taking no time in plopping down on her side, watching the Queen taking more time in climbing up and adjusting herself, on how she placed one of the pillows under her abdomen as she laid facing the Princess.

A hand come to rest on the curve of her belly, warm and already Elsa felt more at ease from the mere touch. Anna, just like Hans, had a certain curiosity over the child that she was carrying, finding the time to just lay down by her stomach to listen what was going on within, already excited over the thought of having a new member of their family, and she had also expressed her eagerness in feeling any sort of movement every time she saw her sister passing through.

"It's so quiet." For someone who had looked so sleepy, as it was so late in the hour anyway, it was surprising that the Princess had not passed out the moment her head touched the pillow, and instead had commented with such soft voice. "I had expected it to be more… noisy."

 _"Patrol the waters,"_ she had ordered during one of the meetings as they discussed on the best way to approach the problem at hand. _"Do not engage unless they did. If we can scare them off and away from Arendelle the less casualty we will have."_ That perhaps had been the reason on why it had been so quiet outside despite the situation that had the people, especially those in the castle, at the edge of their seats.

But perhaps Anna had referred to something more innocent, such as her child, who had settled down for the night and relieved her greatly from the constant moving that would prevent her from sleeping. Either way, as she was unsure on which Anna had truly referred to, she had only hummed in agreement as she took a deep breath, releasing it as her shoulders relaxed.

"Elsa, everything will turn out fine, don't worry." The younger sister had offered a small reassuring smile as she looked at the older, so positive and warm even when she could barely fight off the impending exhaustion she was facing. It was a nice balance with the Queen's constant worry, of how her mind often driven back to the worst possible outcome, and she smiled at her younger sister as a hand brushed away her bangs.

"I do hope so too, Anna."

 **A little short, I'm sorry, but I will try to finish the next chapter soon, so expect a fast update.**


	29. First Snow

Cold wind blew against her skin.

Never once did it bothered her before, not even now, as her body itself was colder than any other person, the cold had always felt more like a comfortable embrace for her, a welcoming weather for her to just go and have a calming walk when others would very much preferred to stay inside by the fireplace. She could go with the thinnest of clothing and would still go unbothered, yet she had put on a warm coat around herself today as she walked around the garden.

The cold may not bothered her, but she did not want to even have the smallest of chance in bringing her child into any sort of discomfort should it's ability to withstand the weather was not the same as hers, besides Anna kept on _pestering_ her to put warm clothing and would not let her go otherwise. These days, she was repeatedly reminded that her younger sister had grown into a young woman, she was no longer the young child that would cry when she had scrapped her knee after falling off a tree she was climbing.

"It's cold!"

Though, some things never change.

The Queen had let out a small laugh over her younger sister's whine as the strawberry blonde haired Princess came running after her, hands tightly holding her own coat together to keep herself warm and the wind away from her. "You don't _have_ to come with me."

"Nonsense!" Anna's breath did come with a small puff of cloud when the warmth of her insides was exposed to the crisp air, though she had maintained a determined face as she linked her arm around hers. "Who would miss the chance of taking a walk with the one and only Snow Queen of Arendelle?"

With an eyebrow raised, she had turned her head at her sister with intrigue. "Oh? Is that what they call me now?" It was far better than any names that she had been called before, or have called herself with during the hard times of her life, _'Snow Queen'_ meant that people had acknowledge her and her power as one, and that she herself had embraced it instead of trying to hide it from the world.

"I think it's interesting and definitely suits you." The Princess had shrugged casually, leaning her head against her shoulder with a small sigh. "It must have been fun to not feel the cold, right?" When not faced with the impending horror that she could lose control and hurt someone in the process, perhaps.

"Kind of."

Their conversation continued on over the things that had been happening. Kristoff had mentioned to the Princess that he wished to replace his sled –for no matter how he had taken a good care of it and had just paid it off from the little money he got from his ice business, it was a little old sled that had creaked at some places. Though it was merely a passing topic, for the Ice Harvester had quickly changed it after realizing who he was talking to and assured her that he was not complaining, instead he was just stating things. Elsa, on the other hand, had the doctor come for a visit to check up on her pregnancy, and was pleased to know that her babe was growing healthy and on track, expected to arrive into the world in a few more months, at early spring perhaps.

They had only stopped when Anna had felt the gentle touch of coldness that had suddenly came onto the tip of her nose. Looking up, both could see the light rain of snowflakes that had fallen from the sky, melting down when they met with the Princess' warm skin and settling down and able to maintain their shapes when met with the Queen's cold one.

"It's the first snow of the year."

While the younger sister had stood in awe with a smile on her face, palms up to capture the falling snow, the older had turned her head to the direction of where the ocean was, though her vision was obstructed by the walls, mind had automatically went over to how her husband and the navy would be affected by the snow.

Would they be cold? Surely they had packed warm clothes beforehand, as the weather was already quite cold when they departed. Would the snowfall be any sort of a hindrance for them? Or would it actually be a leverage against the pirates who had not been as prepared as they were?

If only she had not been pregnant… she would have handled this matter at her own hands.

* * *

It felt comforting… almost.

Felt as if her surrounding has closed off around her, enveloping her in her own tiny bubble of the life she yearned of where her heart did not have to be in such constant ache as she waited with bated breath of the outcome she did not have control over. The feeling of lightness, as if her body had turned weightless, floating around without burden that weighed down onto her shoulders, rid of the horror that she knew she could not bear alone, slowly creeping onto every inch of her as her grip over reality had beginning to slip away.

Yet it had also welcomed the nightmares back.

The old ones.

 _There will come a day where you have to stand before your people without them,_ her father had always said every time she had showed him how her gloves had helped her to conceal her magic, to ignore and to act as if they were not there, in hope that perhaps she was able to meet Anna. Yet those words had always turned her down, away from her hopes and dreams of not being isolated in her own home. _You must learn to control it._

She did though, didn't she? In a way that neither of her parents were unable to think of, to _accept_ of who she is with or without her magic. They loved her, she was sure of that, only they had failed to show it to her younger self, frightening her instead with the feeling of loneliness as she grew without a single friend to talk to.

Still, no matter how she had proven it upon herself and her kingdom that she was in control, that she would not cause harm to anyone, she was still haunted by the ghosts of her past. Of those moments where she would cry herself to sleep as ice crawled on her walls and ceiling, of when she felt so exhausted that she wished she did not have to attend the tutoring her parents had signed for her right after she had exercised her self-control for it had drained her so much.

And the new ones.

 _The conflict was unavoidable._ She could imagine someone said that to her, a man standing before her under the snowfall –the Captain of the guard perhaps; hands gripping onto his hat, fingers curling so tightly around it. The fear and pity in his eyes even when he had not yet delivered the news, and yet there was already a lump in her throat. _The Prince had fought bravely but—_

It was as if someone had suddenly taken hold of her heart, fingers gripping around it and force it to beat out of it's rhythm against her chest. Her lungs burned with the lack of oxygen that she needed to breathe, suffocating her, and she fought against the lurking darkness that had started to pull her down under.

A beat, above her navel and coming from within, had yanked her out of her own thoughts, head surfacing through the now lukewarm water as she gasped for air, fingers gripping onto the marble of the tub she was in, chest rising and falling frantically as her eyes took it's time to adjust to her surrounding, blinking away through the remaining drops of water on her face as she coughed as her body gathered the oxygen she had been losing.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" The muffled sound coming from the other side of the closed door was laced with concern, perhaps as her ladies had heard the coughing sound after so much silence from her, though they knew that barging in would be improper. "Your Majesty?"

"I'm fine." She had called out as she ran her hands over her wet hair, brushing it back with her fingers as she leaned back against the tub. She had requested to be left alone as she soaked in the water before she would be dressed, wishing to submerged her body in the once hot water to ease her tired muscles. "I'm fine." She repeated, more softly and intended for herself only, as she ran her hands over her belly under the water's surface.

By Gods, she did not mean to drown herself, let alone bringing her child along with her, what kind of a mother she would be if she would let such thing to happen. But she almost did, right? Putting her head below the water, shutting her eyes in an attempt to shut the world out, things would have gone differently should her child had not kicked, had not saved her from her own nightmares.

"I'm sorry." She had whispered as she bowed her head down, hands cradling her belly as she sniffled, unable to contain the surge of emotions that washed over her after she realized of how horrible she had been as a mother, even when her child had not even come to this world, so reckless that the baby that she was supposed to protect had been the one that protected _her_ instead. "I'm so sorry." Pressing the heel of her palm against her eyes, she took a deep breath to calm herself, summoning back the thin layer of frost that had formed on the white marble under her recent touch.

"Mama will be strong for you, I promise."

 **So... it's not a fast update after all, what a joke I am.**

 **But I kept scratching out the idea for this chapter, deciding which one I want to use. I also happened to be out of town yesterday.**


	30. To Breathe and to Forgive

**I'm sorry I made Elsa acted the way she did in the last chapter.**

 **Also, the first part of this kinda hit a bit close to home, I can't believe this lol.**

 _"Elsa, come closer."_

Hesitation filled her to the brim, heart pounding against her chest, fingers twitching at either side of her as she remained standing in her place, blue eyes wide as she tried to peer forward, to where two figures stood over a lone crib by the triangular window, the warmth of summer streaming through the glass.

 _"Come meet her."_

A step, then another, was taken cautiously as the little girl inched forward, until her fingers came to hold the edge of the crib, standing on the tips of her toes to look inside curiously, dressed in blue as both parents rested their hands on her back.

 _"Come and see my sister."_

The girl had turned her head to look over her shoulder, right at her still figure, with a bright proud smile on her face that was framed with strands of platinum blonde hair that had escaped from the braid she had. Her cheeks were rosy, full and tightly pulled by the wide smile, dimpled. Her hand was reached out for her to take, welcoming, urging her to come close. She walked forward, heels clicking against the wooden flooring, and yet when her fingers had merely touched the crib, had not even gotten the chance to look inside and see the babe, her surrounding had swirled and changed.

The King and Queen stood by the door, with a smile that did not reach their eyes, hands clasped behind their backs as they looked at her. They were just like how she had remembered them, of how they looked right before they depart on their journey, even dressed the same, and yet there was something different about them too. Had she never noticed it before, of the lines at the corners of her mother's eyes, or of the grey in her father's hair? They looked… tired, weary as if they had not rested well, _old_.

 _"Breathe, Elsa."_ Her Father had spoken then, in a tone meant to calm her, to reassure her that whatever it had been weighted her down would soon disappear, and she complied. Taking a deep breath, she slowly released the air in her lungs. _"Just breathe."_

 _"Come here, my poor child."_ Her Mother's arms were opened for her, welcoming, unafraid of what she could do, and instead of refusing, to avoid making any sort of contact, she had approached them, to let arms wrapped around her in a warm embrace she had not felt for years that made her body shook, feeling her Mother's loving hand at the back of her head, holding on, comforting her as a sob escaped her trembling lips. _"There, there."_

Her legs buckled from the weight of her emotions that had bottled up within her, and when she had succumb under it, her parents had followed, had lowered themselves down with her until all sat on the floor, embrace never leaving her as she buried her face on her Mother's shoulder.

 _"Be strong, my darling."_

 _"We are proud of you."_

 _"We are sorry, for everything we had done to you, Elsa."_

Their words wrecked her heart, and yet she didn't feel like suffocating, there was no fingers holding onto her beating heart and squeezed, there was air in her lungs, and there was no darkness that lurked around the corner that would pull her down until she slipped into nothingness.

She cried.

Tears flowing freely from her eyes, sobs wrecking through her chest, hands trembling as her parents remained holding her, keeping her intact and to keep her away from breaking apart. They stayed still until her cry died down into nothing but a sniffle, when tears had no longer pool in her eyes and when her breathing had slowed down.

 _"Care for your child, make sure it knows how much it is loved, don't make the same mistake that we did."_

When her eyes opened, she was met with the sleeping face of her sister by her side in such darkened room and her blanket over her body to warm herself up in the night. Her eyes stung and the pillow beneath her head damped with her tears, but her lips had tugged into a small smile. She felt at peace, even when not completely, but there was a certain burden that had been lifted off her shoulders as she reached forward and touched her sister's cheek, making the younger hummed from the cold skin as she snuggled deeper into her own pillow.

All she needed was to breathe.

* * *

It was faint, but she could feel it.

The marketplace down below was not as crowded as it usually been, there was barely any laughter coming from children running around while their parents do their business amongst themselves, instead people had looked cautious, had only come out of the safety of their homes if it was completely necessary, kids were told to stay inside at all times should something was to happen.

The gloom that had come from the moment after they were told to retreat back into their homes before the navy and the guards came marching from the castle and down to the docks, with the Queen overlooking from a balcony up above, had drained the colors of peaceful Arendelle as people had witness of how serious the situation could be as they given their utmost trust to the uniformed men over their safety and of their kingdom.

It had been the ninth day that Hans had been away, and throughout those days she had slept in Anna's bedchamber each night while the Queen's remained untouched unless she was to take a short nap, for she had found a certain comfort in talking with her younger sister in the late night as both laid in bed under the covers; from catching up with the memories of their separated childhood –the mischiefs that the Princess had been involved in during her youth and the more boring ones that the Queen went through, of the things they missed in doing together, and even over the portraits that Anna had taken more liking to.

 _"We should have a family portrait once the baby is born."_

One that they would hang in the gallery by the one that was painted years ago, when both girls were merely children, with Elsa standing with just the smallest of smile while the younger Anna –sitting on their mother's lap, could not help but having such wide smile. It was probably the most prized one for the two of them, for they could see the late King and Queen not by their title but as their parents.

The platinum blonde haired Queen had smiled warmly at the suggestion, promising that they should indeed.

The vibration that she felt as she sat at her desk had made her hand paused, a droplet of ink falling from the tip of her quill as she looked over toward her window, brows furrowing as she was pulled away from her train of thoughts. Placing her feather quill back into the bottle of ink, she had stood up, making her way to stand by the triangular window, eyes narrowing as she looked over to the ocean far near the horizon.

A cannon had been fired.

The pirates refused to leave then.

Turning around, she come to face the looks that her ladies-in-waiting had as they stood frozen in place with bated breath, their initial activities paused as all awaited for her to speak of what had just happened, of the course of action that she was to take and the order for them to do. "Warn the others." Some people might not have felt it, of the vibration in the air, and she would not have anyone be oblivious about it. "Have the guards warn the people to return back to their houses." If they could help it, she would push the number of casualty to the bare minimum, there was no life to be lost in vain.

Once they had left to carry out her orders, she let out a breath as she lowered herself onto the cushions by the window, running her fingers through her bangs as she brush it away from her face. Looking back out, she placed a hand over the glass, feeling the faint layer of frost under her touch beginning to form.

"Return safely, my Admiral."


	31. Be Hurt With Me

There was no letter.

She imagined it would be hard for him to write to her, whether as an official report or of how a husband missed his home, yet still she looked up rather hopefully whenever Kai had walked in, carrying a tray of letters, only for her heart to flatter when none of it to bear Hans' seal, but still she smiled at the steward as she thanked him, fingers already taking hold of the silver letter opener that was laid on her desk.

After what happened yesterday, it was quite surprising that she could not hear any more cannon being fired, and as she was highly advised to not be reckless and stay within the castle's walls, she could only rely on the guard's reports of what the lookout had seen. The pirate's ship was driven away from the kingdom, for the safety of everyone else, and the royal fleet had disappeared over the horizon.

Now that no one could see them, how could she even know what happened? Of whether they were winning or somehow a bunch of pirates could overthrow the royal ship? How would she be assured that in order to protect the kingdom, everyone on the ship was safe and sound?

"Elsa," a warm hand placed over hers on the table had taken her out of her own thoughts as she blinked, eyes drifting toward the end until she was met with her sister's concerned look. "You're not eating your food."

The mention made her eyes darted downward, to where she had been doing nothing but poke at her barely eaten food, lips pressing into a thin line as she sighed. She was not feeling particularly hungry, and since her child had grown so much and taken so much space in her, eating a lot would only made her sick.

"Do you remember when I was little and the cook makes me eat _artsoppa_?" The sudden change of topic had made the Queen looked up with her brows furrowing in confusion, as they were nowhere near discussing their childhood, especially not _that_ detailed. "I hate it, but you always promised me something special each time, so I don't complain." She couldn't exactly see where the Princess was intending to go on with it. "Well, I can't exactly promise you anything, but… the food is _way_ better than _a_ _rtsoppa_ , that I can promise you."

Her cluelessness over her own choice of topic, and the poor attempt of saving that she did, had actually made the older sister had to stifle her laughter as her hand came to cover her mouth, corners of her lips tugging into a smile as her worries forgotten, even just for a moment such as this. "You know, _a_ _rtsoppa_ is not _that_ bad."

Turquoise eyes rolling as Anna's nose wrinkled in disgust, she had chosen to stick her tongue out at the platinum blonde haired Queen. "Speak for yourself, health-loving sister of mine." While the younger's love for desserts and sugary treats was unchallenged, the older had much preferred healthy foods ever since she was a child, with only a couple exclusion such as chocolate that she was so fond of, and thus the teasing nickname was no stranger between the two sisters.

"Oh, did Father ever told you that I once sprained a dignitary's wrist?" Taking a bite of the fish from her plate, Elsa could only shook her head, though she was very intrigued in hearing this story. Their parents would tell her of the things her younger sister was involved in, it had both made her smile but saddened her a little for she could not be there to witness it herself, yet it was still better than not knowing at all. "It was the Dignitary of Somewhere, I can't remember since it was so long ago, but really, I was just saying hello."

What a way of greeting it must have been then, both for her and the poor dignitary who must have to sail home with bandaged hand.

A few more childhood stories later and both sisters were pleasantly winding down from their round of laughter. It truly was helping for her to spend time with her sister, to actually know her and to have her tell her of the things she had been missing during their youth from _her_ point of view, for seeing Anna's actual way and reaction to it reminded her of how much she hasn't truly changed from her younger self.

"Anna," now that the atmosphere had settled down into a calming one, her mind could not help but ponder on one of the most important question that she had not yet have the courage to voice, and seeing the younger tilted her head to a side with a hum as she waited for it to come, she had to take a moment to swallow the lump that had started to form in her throat. "Do you… hate me? For what I did?" It had not been clear enough for the Princess to answer, as she had frowned instead, and the older had gestured at the streak of platinum blonde among the strawberry blonde hair, standing brightly as the constant reminder of what could happen should she lose control.

She had told her of what happened that night, of how _reckless_ she had been as an older sister, of how they had almost lost the young Princess at the hand of the other one. Anna had been understanding, she was actually thankful that she had finally been told of what exactly had based their separation from each other as their parents had failed to do so. It had already been settled between the two of them, yet she couldn't help but wonder if the streak in her hair had bothered the Princess, as at times –especially before the reveal of her magic, she often see Anna tugging on it with pursed lips.

"Oh." Anna's hand came to hold onto her right braid, where the streak was weaved amongst her hair. "I used to not like it, yes. I feel like it's out of place and not supposed to be there, you know, even when Mother told me that I was born with it." Her honesty had made the Queen's brows furrowed, even when she had been the one who brought it up, to hear her sister openly express her feelings over it still bothered her a little. "But now that I know why it's there and I have grown from that little girl, I now love it, actually. It makes me feel like I always have a part of my sister with me." Again her warm hand came to hold hers as the Princess smiled at her sister. "It happened years ago, Elsa, you have to let go or you would never be at peace with yourself."

"I know, Anna, I just…" she had always overthink things, mind racing over every possibilities –often the worst ones, and being ten steps ahead when others were barely on step two. It was a habit that was great for her to have as Queen, as she would think over and over again before making a vital decision for the kingdom, and yet also her greatest flaw.

"It's okay to be hurting, Elsa. But you have to remember that I'm here with you, so be hurt with me."

* * *

She liked the color.

Both she and Hans had been talking about the nursery that they were to set up for their unborn child right by their bedchamber, where light would warm up the room and Northern Lights could clearly be seen from the window. It was half done already, with her old crib still standing firm to be used by generations to come, dark colored mahogany curtained by soft white silk. They did not know of what gender their child have, and to wait for it to be born before they actually decorated would be disastrous, so she came up with an idea to make it neutral, cream and brown colored so that there wouldn't be any conflict arising.

Servants had just installed the armchair by the window, at per her request.

There was still a couple of months left before the estimated time of her labor, but she liked to plan ahead, and since Hans had left ten days ago the nursery had not been touched, not until now when she had walked back in, to drink up the comforting atmosphere that enveloped her the moment she opened the door. Gifts were already sent by their neighboring kingdoms as they shared the joy of the soon arrival of a new royal family member, among them some very small clothes that made her heart swelled upon the sight of it, coming from none other than Rapunzel herself, already folded and stored neatly.

After her conversation with Anna during lunch, and the one that followed, she had many things to consider about herself.

She considered herself an independent woman –she needed her family by her side but still she handled so many things herself especially when it comes to governing Arendelle, but she had failed to notice of how dependent she had been lately, especially to Hans, and how she had succumb down into a state of depression from his lack of presence, until Anna had pointed it out rather blatantly as, in her words, _"You wouldn't see it unless it's presented as it is to your face"._

But this pregnancy had not been pleasant for her, especially now that she was in her third trimester. She felt uncomfortable most of the times, she could not sleep right, her feet hurt when she stood for far too long, but when she sat too long her back was the one that ache, and her emotions could go all over the place so suddenly and without her control. Nothing felt right.

"Not that Mama blames you, darling." She had found herself sitting down by the window, hand running comforting circles over her stomach when her babe had kicked. This connection that she had with her child was one of the strangest thing that she ever have and yet she knew she would miss it, once her child was born. "Be it you are born as a son or a daughter, Mama doesn't care, unlike those pesky Council men." As far as she was concerned, she would protect this child no matter what it would cost her. "All I want is for you to be healthy, so promise me that, okay?"

 **That bit with Anna's teasing over Elsa's preference of healthy food is based on my real interaction with my older sister, who is so like Elsa when it comes to personality, though not in the bad way.**


	32. Dearest Sister of Mine

She didn't feel as miserable.

The feeling of an empty spot still lingered when she came to her own bedchamber, to see the untouched bed that must have gone cold from the lack of people actually sleeping on it, of every meal time where her left side had not been occupied for so long, of when she spent her time in the library where there was no head resting on her lap as the man listened closely to what happened within her belly. But she found ways to keep it to the bare minimum.

She slept with Anna in the Princess' bedchamber each night –it had been the eleventh day now as she kept on counting, to have her sister's comforting hand either holding hers or even resting on her round belly to soothe her darling niece or nephew, she conversed and joked around with the Princess during meal time, gossiped about the things that the younger always seemed to discover, she indulged in small sweets as she read in the library, speaking each word out loud for her child to hear, and it was… nice. She realized that her life did not have to cling to Hans forever, that they could be separated and not have either of them spiraling into nothingness.

Anna was always there with her too.

She would know when the Queen's fingers curled around the edge of her pillow, nails digging into it as brows started to furrow and jaws clenched, it happened every time a band of muscles tightened at the lower part of her abdomen. It had been happening one or twice and was deemed normal by the doctor, as it was merely her body's own way of preparing for the birth of her child, and as long as they did not come into a pattern, it did not mean that she was in early labor. Sometimes it was merely a discomfort for her, a cramp, but there were times where it caused her to groan ever so quietly, those times were the ones where the strawberry blonde haired Princess would sit or lay down by her sister's side, hand caressing her cheek and brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

Her touches were warm and comforting, and that alone already made her feel much better, as she knew she didn't have to be feeling uncomfortable alone.

"-he found and rescued Sven when they were both still young." The sun had set long ago, darkening the sky outside of the Princess' window, and yet the two sisters were still up, sitting on the plush bed as the older ran her fingers through the younger's hair to undo her braid. Usually her own handmaidens would do the job, but the Queen had politely dismissed of them, as she wish to tend to her sister's hair herself for the night, for old time's sake. "He was orphaned since he was a child."

She couldn't quite understand how tonight their discussion had been of Kristoff, though she did felt rather saddened by the reveal of the hardships of life that the man had to face. It was also quite curious that Anna would even know about all this in the first place. "So… he didn't have any sort of family at all?"

"He… kind of does?" the strawberry blonde haired Princess sounded a little uncertain as she handed the hairbrush for her sister to take. "It's complicated, he doesn't really explain it, but he did once mentioned that he has those he referred as his family. Maybe the other ice harvesters?"

Running the brush through her sister's hair, she slightly felt like it was unnecessary, knowing that each morning the Princess would wake up with such wild bed hair anyway no matter how many tangles she had dismissed the night before. "I need you to be honest with me, Anna. Do you like him?" The question had plagued her mind for quite some time now, seeing that the two once opposing people had grown rather close, from what she could see and hear.

"Wait, what?" The younger sister's head had whipped so quickly that the Queen was thankful she was not brushing any hair at that moment, as the sudden motion would surely hurt her sister's scalp. "What makes you think of that?" She genuinely sounded so surprised, but it was the blush that started to color her cheeks that made the older rose her eyebrow.

"Anna-"

"Maybe."

Letting out a quiet sigh, she continued on brushing after she had made her sister to look ahead once again. A love between a royal and a commoner is… not preferred. Even when Anna was the second-born sister, and that the Queen was already expecting the next heir for the kingdom, the Council men would only wish to see the beneficial side of politic, and Anna was already eyed to go through a betrothal just like her older sister did to expand Arendelle's connection.

"Just… tell me everything."

* * *

It was still dark when her shoulders were shaken.

Her child had been restless, moving and kicking more than usual that she could not even have a proper sleep, had instead caressing the side of her stomach as she willed it to settle down so _she_ could rest, whispering so quietly as not to interrupt the light snore coming from her sister at her side, she had only been able to properly shut her eyes past midnight.

Thus why the interruption had made her groan, as she was taken away from her dreamless slumber, eyes heavy as she noticed that the sun had barely peek through the horizon, finding a looming figure above her that she could not really recognize from the lack of light in the bedchamber.

"Your Majesty," it was Gerda, according to her voice, whispering so lowly that it did not even cut through the quietness of the early morning, but she had sounded rather urgent, and that had been the reason why she hasn't pulled the covers over her head to try and go back to sleep. "There have been news."

 _That_ had piqued her interest, enough to make her to actually rise up to sit, the blankets pooling down on her lap. "What news?"

"The royal fleet has been spotted at the horizon."

 _Hans has returned._

"Draw a bath for me."

The Governess nodded dutifully then, leaving the Princess' bedchamber to call upon the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. It would take a little time for them to prepare the water and her dress, but she was far too awake to even try and take some precious minutes to sleep. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest when she tugged on the silk gown over herself, head looking over her shoulder to her still sleeping sister and deciding that she deserved more time to rest.

Getting up, she made her way out of the warmth of the bed and toward the door, stepping into the hallways as she let the door behind her close with a quiet click. She couldn't sit still –and neither did her child apparently, thus why she might as well return to her own bedchamber for her bath. There was no certainty that there was no life sacrificed for the safety of Arendelle, of her husband returning safe and sound, but she had to welcome them back nonetheless.

Once the water was steaming and ready, she lowered herself into the tub, wasting no time in soaking herself longer than necessary, there was no time for her to sit in the water to overthink, not when the ship was coming closer to the docks with each passing minute. She grew impatient when she stood in front of the mirror, watching the ladies worked around her to fasten her dress, fingers wringing in an attempt to keep herself still. Anna had awoken too, according to a servant, and was being prepared herself to join the older sister as soon as she could.

"Where exactly are we going to wait?" Anna had hitched up her skirt to keep up with the Queen, for even when she was not physically able to run in her condition, she had been way ahead, and the Princess was not allowed to run in the hallways, especially with the Queen in plain sight, so walking fast was the only option for her.

"The docks." She didn't have the patience to wait in the castle, she _needed_ to move, and the whole ship crew wouldn't be returning to the castle for her to welcome anyway so she was not being entirely selfish. "Our carriage is already waiting outside."

It felt stuffy inside the closed carriage.

As it was nearing Christmas and the weather had been too cold for Anna to bear in such early morning, an open carriage was not even possible for them to use, besides having snow pilling around their feet was the last thing the Queen wished to have to handle. But the closed-off place made her shift uncomfortably as they rolled through the town, not to mention her heart had not exactly settled down within her chest either.

"Elsa, breathe." Anna's hand came to curl around hers that was resting on her own lap, making blue eyes glanced down at the difference between them. The younger sister wore thick woolly gloves meant to fight off the cold and to prevent her fingertips in turning blue while the older wore her usual satin ones as a form of formality more than anything. Taking a deep breath, she gave her sister a small smile in return. "Just breathe."

Breathe. She could do that.

 **The start of the semester is upon me, so updates may be slower. Also, Kristoff will make his appearance later if everything went according to plan, no worries.**


	33. A Promise for a Promise

**I kept rewriting the first part over and over again since I'm not satisfied with it, until I basically patch them up together and adjust it to my liking. That's why the update was slow, also assignments.**

They arrived before the fleet did.

The two royal sisters had been standing at the docks, eyes narrowed and hands held up to block the morning sunlight as they watched the royal ship approaching, coming closer as it broke through the fjord's calm waters, surrounded by guards at ready should anything was to happen that could be a threat for them. Someone had even offered a seat for the Queen as she waited but she had declined of it, for even sore feet and aching back could not make her sit down when her heart raced against her chest. She couldn't sit still.

And it seemed that neither could Anna.

The Princess fidgeted in her place, swaying on the balls of her feet as her skirt billowed with each movement that she made, fingers constantly tucking her hair behind her ear. She was far more outspoken when it came to expressing her nervousness, unlike the older who still able to maintain a calm demeanor to mask how fast her thoughts ran through her mind, though the younger had been able to _not_ ramble on and on.

 _See you in two weeks._

That had been Anna's parting words to their parents before they had left for their travels –while hers had been of a question if they were _really_ needed to go, but neither of them had seen them after two weeks, had instead received news of their passing, and it had been the cause of their bubbling nerves. Yet, here they were, watching as the ship came back, so there was nothing to be afraid of, right? It was not like what happened with their parents would happen again.

The closer the ship was, the easier it was for her to see the damage that it had gone through. There were scratches of what appeared happened as two ships clashed together, there were even some parts that were missing of the woods it was made of, leaving gaping holes that was thankfully not big enough to sink it. The sail had not been as white and as flawless it had been when they left, had been slashed and partly burned, but still able to catch wind for their return.

"Careful, Your Majesty." A guard had motioned for her to take a step back, perhaps fearing that some debris may fall from the ship as soon as it was docked, and she had grabbed Anna's wrist then, tugging her along as she backed away.

The wooden plank was lowered as soon as the ship had docked perfectly, and the first man had walked down. It was one of the crew, carrying a crate all by himself, and she noticed the exhaustion that lingered in his expression.

A stream of men continued on coming down, unloading the ship of crates and their belongings as they did, bowing their heads the best they could when they passed her and Anna, though there was a hint of surprise when they had seen the royals, as none had expected to see them outside, especially not the Queen, and instead had expected them to be waiting at the comfort of the castle, but none had spoken of their surprise out loud.

The moment her eyes caught the sight of auburn hair, striking under the sun, she felt weight lifting off her shoulders.

"Hans!"

Her voice startled him, as his head perked up and his eyes widened, but he soon has a smile on his face as he picked up his pace –though she could see that he was struggling as he did, while she come approaching him too, half of the guards moving along with her while the rest stayed with Anna.

The smaller the distance between them was, the easier for her to understand _why_ he had struggled. He was limping as he walked, making him slower than he used to, thick winter coat over him to keep him away from the nipping cold could not fully hide the fact that his left arm was held close to his stomach with a bandage to support it.

Someone injured him, someone had hurt her husband enough to leave him in such state. The mere thought of it had made her gritted her teeth as she stopped in her track, anger bubbling within her that her eyes had suddenly turned cold as she stared at him with a glare just as he came to stand right before her.

"Hans-"

"What are you doing here?"

"Hans-"

"You should have waited back at the castle."

"You're injured."

The raise of her voice had made green eyes glanced down at the arm that could not be moved due to the state it was in before the auburn haired Prince looked back up at the Queen, at how much it had angered her to see him hurt, the way her jaw was clenched and her shoulders tensed.

Stepping forward, only his right arm came to wrap around her body as he pulled her into a warm yet cautious embrace, minding both his arm and her rounded stomach, chuckling as he did. "I miss you too, Elsa."

Blinking, she had been taken by surprise by the turn of event as she had expected him to _at least_ argue or claim that he was 'alright' instead of embracing her, her heart had melted over the gesture, warmed up by the fact that no matter what happened, she had been reunited with him, to be able to get back into his embrace as he fulfilled his promise that nothing would keep him from returning to her. Arms coming to wrap around him, her fingers curled around the fabric of his coat as she held on.

"You're here."

"And I feel awfully like a third-wheel." There had been a moment where she had even forgotten that Anna had come with her, but the moment the younger sister has spoken as she approached, with an amused tone and a teasing eye rolling at them, both the Queen and Prince Consort had parted –if only in the smallest of distance, to turn their attention to her. "Can we do the whole reunion thing back at the castle, please? It's freezing."

She had also forgotten that unlike her, none of the people around her was able to stand in the weather without even a shiver, and the thought made her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. She had been a little forgetful lately, mind either too preoccupied or simply went into a blank, and she had been trying her best to hide it. Nodding, she parted further from Hans, taking his healthy hand in hers, holding tightly with a squeeze. "Of course, Anna." The poor Princess had her arms around herself as she tried to keep warm, even with the coat she had on, and though the guards maintained their position, she could see that they too share the same feeling. "Besides, Hans needs to see a doctor."

"I-"

"Not a word of protest, darling."

* * *

"I've been thinking."

The return of the royal naval had marked off the success of defeating the pirates, who now Arendelle had as prisoners below the castle's grounds, chained up and sitting behind bars in the dungeon monitored by the rolling shift of guards, and those who had served was greatly awarded for their duties. No life had been lost, though some had suffered from injuries worse than the others, but even that had been arranged under the Queen's orders that they were to be cared for until they return back to health.

Hans had his leg and arm receiving strikes from one of the pirates' blade, yet he had kept on fighting them off even with his blood running down onto the ship's deck. The men had patched him up enough to stop the bleeding on their return, and as soon as they arrived at the castle, the doctor had been called upon to properly dress his wounds and to check should they missed anything, leaving with the note that he had to take up as much rest as he could to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on his leg and arm.

The wounds had to be cleaned throughout the day, and even when servants and even her own ladies-on-waiting had volunteered themselves to take on the duty, she had dismissed of their services, at least during the night, for she wish to care for her husband herself. She would have done the day too, if she had not been so busy with her own duties.

"Well that's a way to start a conversation." His sarcastic tone had made her looked up through thick lashes, as delicate hands continued to carefully wrap his arm with fresh bandages, though she had not said a word for her stare had been warning enough. "What have you been thinking about?"

Her eyes remained casted down, even when she had finished in securing her work, keeping his arm in her lap as she focused her attention to her stomach instead; the babe inside had settled down for the night that it was quiet in her womb, not even a shift. "If anything should happen during the birth," she did not wish to go circling around with her words, needed to direct it to where she wanted despite the feeling that neither of them would like to discuss of it, her voice in nothing but whispers. "You will choose the child."

"It wouldn't come to it."

"If." She had repeated, not letting the discussion go and making sure that he understood.

"It wouldn't."

Finally looking up, as he had been as persistent as she, she had sharply glared at him. "If, Hans Westergaard, if." Because no one knew of what the future held for them, of what Fates had in store, and she truly had been thinking of the possibilities of what could happen, she had enough time to while he was away. "Choose our child, Hans."

His hand come to rest on her belly, caressing it through the fabric of her nightgown as his eyes studied her face, seeing the determination in her eyes and the way her lips were pressed in a thin line. "Why must you think of the worst?"

"Because I'm being realistic." Women died during childbirth, not always but it was a case that was not that rare either, and even some Queens had written a will before she was to give birth as to be prepared, and though she was not planning on writing anything, she still needed the assurance that Hans shared the same mind as she. He needed to know that she was willing on doing anything for their child, even giving her own life. "You will raise it to be good, to be a ruler that would bring Arendelle into prosperity, you will give it the childhood that it deserves." One where it would feel the utmost love, even without the presence of it's mother, to keep it away from the same childhood that it's parents had gone through. "Please, just give me the reassurance that I need."

He was silent, simply staring at her as his hand kept going with the caressing it was doing, before he nodded, and she let out a breath. "Only if you promise me something." The determination reflected on his eyes now as she waited for him to continue. "That you will fight to live, no matter how hard it is, you will not surrender."

Her hand came to rest on his chest, feeling the faint beat of his heart under his clothing and muscles, soothing as she let her eyes fluttered close. She supposed it was only fair for him to ask that of her, a promise for a promise. "I will."

 **And no, Hans does not sleep on the couch, since he returned before 14 days, so lucky him.**


	34. Family of a Queen

They could not help but _pester_.

Everything that she did, no matter how simple it was, would be met with questions concerning on whether she was alright, whether she had exhausted herself, met with offers for her to sit down and call it a day when they were barely had passed lunch. Their questions and over-reaction were the ones that truly exhausted her, because they were acting too much, had treated her as if she would break under the smallest of pressure.

"You don't have to do this-"

Head turning, her eyes narrowed as she glared at her husband, who had followed her through the halls as she made her way to the Throne Room, to where she would meet the citizens needing her audience. "Hans," her voice was laced with a warning tone, as how ridiculous it was for him to worry over her when all she would do was sit. "Don't start."

The auburn haired Prince scowled, as he was met with another of her denial, yet instead of leaving her be, he continued to trail behind her. "If I can't stop you," he started when she had barely made a move to protest and dismiss him. "Then I'm coming."

"Weren't you the one that the doctor said had to rest?"

"The leg wound is not as bad as the arm's, it almost healed up already." The roll of his eyes made her brow rose, as he shared the similar persistence as she, she wondered if anyone would be able to handle the headstrongness that their child would definitely inherit. "Now hush."

It was one of the many things she had to endure now that her due date was looming in mere few months, it seemed.

Thus why she had him sitting on a chair provided for him dutifully by her throne, hands on his knees –even his left bandaged one, as he listened just as intently as she was while the man before them spoke of his concern over the year's winter, for it was a little harsher than what Arendelle had usually faced, had driven people into a fit of illness from the cold even during the day.

She was the Snow Queen, yes, but she had no hand in whether Arendelle was losing the warmth of the sun, she had held herself from ever unleashing her magic, especially after what had happened the last time that she did, the alarming pain that she had to endure on her belly was the ultimate sign that she would not use her magic _at all_ for the sake of her child.

The farmer's indirect complain and request for her to see the weather until it was fit for the need of the people had definitely brought Hans discomfort, as from the corner of her eyes she could see how his posture had suddenly became rigid, his protective nature over her and their child starting to kick in, and she had to save the poor soul before her husband handled it himself.

"Mr. Andersen," she had spoken up before Hans could, eyes directed forward. "I will make sure to discuss of what is the best action to help you with my Council later on, thank you for coming here and letting me know."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

After the man had left, she made a motion for Kai to hold their next person by raising a hand at his direction, telling him that she needed time before attending another citizen. Receiving a nod of approval, she turned her attention to her husband. "You may leave if you want, Hans, I can handle this myself."

His brows knitted as he looked at her, expression of denial on his face. "What makes you think of that?"

"I can't have you reacting defensively over _everything_." She didn't want to put a strain in her relationship with her subjects just because Hans, whose words she could not control once they came out, had reacted in the opposite way of what she wanted. "This is _me_ holding an audience, not you."

"His demands are unethical."

As if she was not aware of such thing. But people were just trying to live, they were desperate for help in times of need, and if hearing them could at least ease a little of their worries then she shall do exactly that. "It's humane."

Her answer had not settled the Prince down, had only made his frustration going further on as he shifted on his seat to sit sideways so he could face her better. "They need to learn how to respect you, Elsa." But they do respect her, this she was sure of, desperation did not mean that they had lost their respect for the Queen. "They're treating you without even minding the condition that you're in."

"Hans, they don't know about the incident with my power." Her outburst that had almost endangered the life of her child had been kept as private matter of the royal family, no one outside of the castle's walls were to know of it and anyone who gossiped it out would face the consequences. "All they know is that I am the Snow Queen and therefor able to control the winter."

"Still, they could-"

"Darling, please, would you like to stay or not?" There was still people waiting outside, and the delay would only make this day drag slower than it already was for her, and really she only wished to finish up for the day without having to dismiss those who had waited for hours. "If you do, please let me work. If not, I will see you later for dinner."

A moment passed without him speaking out a word, eyes watching her closely, perhaps searching for an opening to reason further, but then he glanced down at her stomach, of how her hand rested on the crest of it, before he turned to face forward once more, settling down as his back straightened up. He wished to stay then.

"Kai, bring in the next person, please."

* * *

"Elsa, do you have a minute?"

Truthfully, she did not have much time for chit-chat, as she had pilling works that awaited for her attention with the approaching Christmas –and her own birthday but still she requested for not big celebration for it, and no balls this year. She would be far too exhausted to dance, and to be in a room full of people for hours was suffocating her even more now that she was heavy with child, too crowded and the temperature would bother her to no end, thus why she had decided on a more casual celebration, one that involved the citizens of Arendelle outside in the courtyard. At least that way they would feel more connected to the royal family, and she could breathe the fresh air.

But she did not have the heart to dismiss Anna, she never did, and even when she had been overlooking of the paperwork reports of the preparation that had been done, she had welcomed the Princess into her study, motioning her to sit in front of her after she had let the door behind her closed shut.

"I didn't know Christmas could have this much paperwork." The strawberry blonde haired Princess commented as her brows furrowed, peering at the piles of papers that occupied most of the desk's surface. "Are you sure you're not overworking yourself again?"

"Some are for _after_ Christmas." But she wasn't overworking herself, simply working ahead little by little to ease herself later on, especially since she got the time. "I will be off work starting next month until this little one is born, I wish to finish as much as I could." It was a requirement that brought relief to her, for at least she could truly focus on her child for the remaining of her pregnancy then, and even the Council could do nothing of it. "Anna, do you mind going straight to the point?"

"Oh, yes, of course." The younger sister shifted in her seat as she cleared her throat, and the display of nervousness did not escape the older as she raised her brow, lowering the paper she had in hand to observe the Princess closer. "So um, you know that we are to host the first fjord sled competition, right?" She was aware of that, yes, it was one of Anna's suggestion to make the celebration merrier for the citizen's part. "Kristoff wanted to compete –with Sven naturally, and I was wondering if I can, I don't know… provide him with a better sled?"

This brought a frown onto the Queen's face, as it was rather odd for the Princess to wish to endorse a participant, knowing that it would be clear favoritism, especially since she would be the one that would start the race in her older sister's place. "What happened to the one he had now?"

"Honestly, it's just old. He bought it as a second-hand item, so it's not really in it's best condition."

"Are you two dating?"

There had been rumors, not much, but it was there and no rumor had ever escaped the Queen's attention, regarding the closeness that the Princess had with the ice harvester. She had brushed it off as mere friendship, especially since she was also the one who had assigned the two to work together, but the amount of time that Anna had spent with him, and the way that he had come up into discussion in more than one occasion had gave even the Queen herself suspicion.

She had never seen her sister's face flushed red so quickly before as warmth spread even to the tips of her ears and her neck, causing her freckles to stood up even more than before, as she choked on the air she was breathing. "N-no!"

"Anna." The warning tone in the way she had said her name had made the Princess adverted her gaze away from the older sister, fingers coming to fiddle with one end of her twin braids, gulping.

"Yes…" Her voice was more of a quiet whimper really, meek and frightened as she still refused to look at the Queen, who now had leaned back in her chair with a rather loud sigh. She did look up when the older had started to mutter God's name with large wide eyes. "He's a good person, Elsa! And we tried to be as discreet as we can, I swear!"

"That's not the problem, Anna." Her fingers came to massage the bridge of her nose between her eyes, suddenly regretting to even allow Anna to come in the first place now that she was sure to not being able to continue with her work properly. "You're a Princess, he's a commoner." No matter how secretive they were about their relationship, it was still there. And no matter how much happiness she wanted for her sister to have, things like this could not be as easily solved, especially when it came to her strict Council. "He can't-"

"We are not exactly looking into marriage straight away, you know." The Princess had turned defensive now, with her arms crossed over her chest while she leaned back against her own chair. "We kissed and sometimes we hold hands, but other than that, we just… talked."

God be with her should they do anything further than kissing. Letting out a sigh, she knew that headstrong really did run in their family, and if neither of them backed down then the strain in their relationship would only dampen the holiday that was supposed to be about family in the first place. Thus why she had leaned forward, arms folding on the surface of her desk as she faced her younger sister. "Tell him that he has to lie about the sled, he saved money for it or something, just… make sure no one knows it comes from you."

"Wait, what?"

"You two still need to keep the relationship a secret. Please, at least let me give birth first before having to handle the Council about this."


	35. God Jul

The day was filled with cheerful laughter.

After ringing the Yule Bell as the start of the holiday in Arendelle, a tradition that had almost faded away with the years of the castle shutting it's gates and had only been recently revived by the sisters at the very same year that the Queen's magic had been revealed to the world, the celebration had started right away all around her. Immediately people engaged themselves with activities and friendly competition that had been prepared mainly at the courtyard of the castle.

Kristoff, who had been given the honor of bringing the Yule Bell from it's keep to the castle earlier, stood by his new sled that Anna had secretly gotten for him as he prepared himself and his reindeer for the sled competition. He looked rather embarrassed from what she could see, had his hand scratching the back of his head as he kept it hung low, avoiding curious gazes thrown at him. The Princess was nearby, keeping a respectful and proper distance as she pretended to busy herself with anything as she waited to be the one to start the competition, but the older sister could catch the secret glances she threw at the ice harvester when she felt no one was watching.

"Oh, she had it bad."

She hasn't heard her husband approaching, her shoulders tensing up for a moment as she was caught by surprise, but he had merely placed his hands over them as they relaxed back down with her turning her head toward him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"Anna." Nodding his head at the Princess' direction. "She's hopelessly in love."

Of course she had immediately discussed of her sister's newfound relationship with him as soon as both were preparing for bed, had expressed her torn feelings of wanting to have her sister happy while being aware of what the relationship would look like in the eyes of the Council. He had pursed his lips then, for similar to her he had also grew up with strict royal regulations, had lived a life surrounded by rules and expectations, thus to be faced by the current situation at hand had him sharing her feelings.

"I know."

As the sun began to set at the horizon, people had started to leave to head for their own houses, tired and yet filled to the brim with happiness for such merry celebration, ready to start their own personal family traditions. The Queen herself had retired back into the castle at least halfway through the celebration, utterly exhausted even though she had barely participated if compared to the Princess who made sure that she try each activity at least once, preferring to lie down and take a quick nap instead in her bedchamber, far away enough that the noises did not bother her as she buried her face against her pillow as she did not even bother to change out of the navy blue dress she was wearing.

It was only the shake of her husband's hand against her shoulder that had rose her awake, telling her that the celebration had ended and that Anna was waiting downstairs.

This was what she had promised to Anna, to spend each year gathered together as a family after the day had come to an end, for as much as the Princess loved to spend her day with their people, it was the small family that she had that warmth her heart the most. There was no duties and no more royal appearances, just the three of them spending the remaining of the holiday festive as a family, just like the old times, and to repay for every year where both sisters had to spend separated and lonely, away from each other.

She just didn't expect to receive so many things.

Pilling up by the tall tree by the fireplace that Anna had personally decorated herself with the help of the servants, gifts after gifts seemed endless as she had walked into the Recreational room that had been equally decorated for the occasion just as the sun had beginning to set at the horizon. She expected presents, perhaps from Anna and Hans and a couple of others outside the family, but not an entire mountain of those coming from her people themselves.

"They are thankful of you as their Queen, Elsa." The Princess had explained, when the older sister had sat with wide eyes and furrowed eyebrows at the lounge, staring speechlessly at the number of gifts addressed for her. "And there are gifts for the baby too, according to what the guards told me about."

Her heart swelled then, to hear of how her people had loved her and her child so much to willingly spare a little of what they had for her, to even have the thought of gifting the royal family that possessed so much more than they, and her hand moved to run over her belly with a smile. Her child would know how much the people of Arendelle loved it, even before it's birth, and how cherished it was by everyone.

"Here," Anna had grabbed the box nearest to her as she sat on the carpeted floor, head merely inches away from her sister's knees, holding it up for her to take. "Can I help you unwrap the others, please?"

"Of course, Anna." If she had to personally unwrap each and every gift there was then it would take her until tomorrow. Tugging against the ribbon of the box in hand, she had begun to unwrap the paper just as Anna dug for two others, one handed to Hans who had sat by his wife's side. Inside, there was a pair of the smallest socks that she had ever laid her eyes on, knitted to perfection.

Holding it up for Anna to see, as she had immediately asked what was inside, her eyes had widened and brightened up upon the sight. "Oh! It must be from Mr. and Mrs. Olsen!" The lovely old couple had always knitted socks for their grandchildren as part of their tradition, and for them to knit another pair just for the unborn royal baby had made the Queen's heart fluttered.

They spend hours unwrapping gift after gift as small talks were exchanged, laughter coming up frequently as they joked around –especially when both sisters acquired new mustaches after they had drank from their steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Anna was especially shy when the older sister had noticed the brand new bracelet that curled around her wrist, admitting that it was a gift from Kristoff that the man had crafted himself. It was quite interesting, to know how his big hands could make something so delicate.

"I have something for you two." She had prepared it for quite some time now, able to maintain it as a secret hidden in the depth of her desk drawer beneath the papers that none would dig into. In the morning she had brought the two identical wrapped boxes –the only differences being the ribbon colors of green for Anna and red for Hans, down and into the Recreational room before anyone could see, storing them inside a small drawer of the end table.

Anna was eager as she received it, while Hans had watched her closely while receiving his, perhaps wondering on what she was planning, and both had opened their respective gifts at the same time. Holding up the silver necklace with the snowflake hanging at the end of it, the Princess' eyes was practically gleaming as she held the piece of jewelry up in the light. Hans didn't receive a necklace, but a snowflake-shaped medal instead, with Arendelle's colors as the ribbon.

"I had them specifically made." Smiling at the state of speechlessness that her sister and her husband had fallen into, she had felt rather pleased to see the silvery had turned out so beautifully, crafted by the finest Arendelle blacksmith that she had personally visited to make her order. "I just thought that, as the family of the Snow Queen," the corner of her lips tugged in amusement as Anna snickered at the nickname, "I want you two to wear something to represent that." To keep her close even when she was far, to possess some kind of a reminder should she was away. "I need you two to keep them with you wherever you go."

"Are you kidding me?" The strawberry blonde haired Princess' brows furrowed as she looked at the older sister, and there was a short moment of panic that tingled in her heart that she didn't actually like the gift. "I would never, and when I said never it was like NEVER, taking this necklace off my neck, EVER!"

A breath of relief was released along with the Princess' laughter, as she had noticed how nervous the older had been, grinning as she apologized through her chuckling and the teasing of her need to lighten up.

"It's beautiful." Hans' fingers had curled around her chin, prompting her to turn her head toward him, green eyes staring so intensely that she was unsure what exactly he had referred to. "I will cherish it forever." The kiss against her lips made her smile, though both had kept it light and simple for they were not alone, and she had soon turned her attention back to the gifts that they had unwrapped.

Most of what she had gotten had been more of the baby, tiny delicate things that shown her how much her people love the royal family, things that reminded her of her vow to protect those under her rule, and how _real_ this whole thing was. Eyes stinging from the sudden overflowing emotions that bloomed within her heart, her hand moved to dismiss of the tear that had beginning to form at the corner of her eyes, embarrassed that she was able to be overthrown by her hormones so easily.

"Happy holidays, Elsa."


	36. The Queen's Dearest

**With the many rumors and spoilers that has now spread in the internet about Frozen 2, I humbly ask you guys NOT to discuss it in any way in the review section, please. I love discussing and trying to break down the trailers with my friends, but I don't want to know too much since I still want to enjoy the movie, so please don't.**

Everything was falling in place.

With the start of the new year now upon them, she had been true to her words that she would keep her hands off the works inside her study –didn't even plan to go through the door unless completely necessary. The doctor had predicted that her child was to be born as late as early spring, but babies could come rather unexpectedly, and it was royal regulations for Queens to take the last few months off work to focus more on herself and her child anyway.

The nursery had been completed, it was actually where she had found herself in lately, just to sit by the window, soaking in the atmosphere and the room where her child will soon occupied, humming quiet familiar melodies that her Mother had once sung to her and Anna as she tucked them in the night. She loved the moment, to just be alone with her child, able to talk as she ran her fingers against her belly without the need to feel embarrassed for doing such silly thing. Sometimes she brought a book with her and read aloud, of tales and poems of that she had grew up with as her mean of seeing the world without actually needing to get out.

Hans and Anna had their hands quite full lately, as her absence did not mean her work and duty to rule the kingdom was put on hold, thus why they had been doing their best in handling it all with the help of her Council. And yet even in the middle of their busy days, they were still able to spare their time to join her in every meal, to come check on her and making sure that even when she was to roam the castle alone most of the time, she did not feel so lonely.

In the night, her husband would laid his head on her lap as she sat against the headboard of their bed, listening to their babe moving inside as he told her of his day and she told hers to him. It gave her a certain comfort of knowing that even when she did not personally oversee her kingdom, it was still doing well and that her people was just as happy. Arendelle had been her home, she was born and raised there, it was the kingdom that her father had entrusted her with, and to see it prosper beautifully allowed her to sleep in peace.

"Have you thought of baby names?"

One of her favorite past time was to spend time with her younger sister, if she had not been as busy, lounging around in the Recreational room as they put their stocking-cladded feet up the coffee table, snacking on the pieces of chocolate and dried fruits that the servants had brought from the kitchen, balancing the plate on top of her belly that truly amused the younger sister. The question had not been able to stop her from putting another piece of chocolate into her mouth, letting it melt against her tongue as she shook her head.

"Wait, what? Why not?" The Princess shifted in her seat to lean sideways against the backrest instead to have a proper look at her sister, tilting her head with a frown on her face. "The baby is merely about a month away, no?"

Her shoulders lifted up in a shrug as she stared at the plate instead, watching it sway lightly as her babe squirmed within her. "I don't know. I do have a few in mind but nothing certain. Hans and I, we don't want to decide on something then have the baby born and feel that it's not fitting." Her head turned then, to look at her sister –able to count the freckles that adored her cheeks and the bridge of her nose at this distance, with a frown. "Is it weird?"

"For someone who _always_ come prepared for anything? A little." Anna's fingers came to pick a piece of dried fruit, popping it into her mouth as she returned to a normal position, though only for her body to bend sideways until her head met her older sister's in a light bump. "But I understand what you are going for."

She wanted to see her child, to hold it in her arms, and then have a name that truly fit for it. Deciding beforehand without having any idea or even a picture of what her baby would look like didn't feel right. It was said that women would have vivid dreams of what their child may look like, it was said to help with the naming of it, but she had not have any luck. Her dreams barely have her child in it, even when there was, the face would be hidden from her view. It seemed that she truly needed to be patient.

"Mother and Father would have been happy." The strawberry blonde haired Princess' voice was quiet when she spoke, almost unheard of if only she did not lean against her, out of the corner of her eyes she could see her blinking as she stared up the ceiling. "They would be grandparents soon."

Her own lips were pressed in a thin line as the back of her hand came to rest against her younger sister's cheek, feeling it's warmth against her bare skin. She remembered her dream where she met their parents, of how she had cried and how they had asked for her forgiveness, of how they reminded her to care for her child and not to make the same mistake that they did. They were good people, good parents that had tried their best to keep both of their children safe, mistakes were made but everything had been in the past. She remembered of how she had saw how King Frederick and Queen Arianna had been with Marlene, the adoration in their eyes, the beaming pride and the utmost love, and how she had wondered if her parents would have reacted the same way.

They probably would, but there was no way that she would be able to know for sure, for they were not there with them anymore. But her sister was. Her sister stayed by her side, had trusted her and held her hands, supported her through the things that was sure to bring her down should there was no feisty Princess of Arendelle to hold her in place as her rock.

"Anna, what would I do without you?"

Feeling the younger sister's head move, sliding down onto her shoulder instead, she turned to see the wide turquoise eyes staring up at her, a gentle smile plastered on her lips as warm fingers held cold ones. "You'll always have me."

* * *

"Your Mother sent me a letter."

There was no need for her to turn around to know how he had reacted to that, for she could feel his body suddenly tensing against her back, of how his fingers stopped playing with hers as both sat on their bed, and how he had inhaled deeply.

"What did she say?"

She was well aware of how Hans' relationship was with his family, how tense and how it made him so uncomfortable to the point that he refused to discuss of it most of the time. But she didn't want to hold secrets away from him, had tasted first-hand on how it could affect _their_ relationship, and the Queen of the Southern Isles was actually one of the very few people that Hans did not avoid completely.

Receiving the letter was already a surprise for her when she had laid her eyes on the seal, especially since it was addressed to her and not to Hans, but to see Queen Adela signature had been be the one that truly shocked her. "She wanted to congratulate us personally-"

"A little late for that."

Ignoring his remark, she didn't even bother to nudge him for such harsh comment that was laced with a bitter tone, she had only leaned herself back further against his chest. "And she expressed her wish to see her grandchild once it's born."

"No."

Closing her eyes, she let out a breath. She expected the answer, as well as Queen Adela, who had specifically wrote that the reason why she had written to her and not to her own son was for her fear that he might rip apart or toss the letter into the fireplace before even giving a chance of reading it. "Hans-"

"We are not going to the Southern Isles with our child and my family is definitely _not_ coming here."

Her hand reached up to touch his jaw as she turned and looked up, urging him to look down to her as she gave him a reassuring smile. "She didn't ask, only express, none of them would come unless we invite them." Her fingers caressed the side of his face until his gaze slowly softened, his arms coming to wrap around her. "I only want you to know."

"You, Anna, and our child, is the only family that I needed, Elsa."


	37. Life and Death

A part of her wished she had not go.

But how could she not? When she hasn't visited them in so long, had never have the strength and courage to make the journey to see them, eaten by the fear of the unknown and of what she knew she would feel if she saw those two rocks standing tall, towering above her. She had promised it upon herself that she would make amends with her past, to let go of the hardship that often still gnawed on her mind, and this was a step closer into achieving that peace.

The grass around the rocks were always so neatly trimmed, peeking through the thinning layer of snow that had beginning to melt and dampened the ground, no doubt soiling her shoes and the hem of her dress, but she had barely cared as she stood before the looming rocks, right between the two as she looked up at the runic alphabet carved below the Arendelle crocus. Even reading the names there already tightened her chest.

 _They would be grandparents soon._

Anna voice echoed in her mind, unknowingly had been the one that prompted her to make the journey up the small hill outside Arendelle's castle walls. It reminded her of how she had never come and present her pregnancy to her own parents. She stood by their paintings, yes, staring at their cold and lifeless eyes, but never before their last resting place, even when she knew that the caskets that people had lowered into the ground years ago were empty, as the late King and Queen were never been recovered from the depth of the sea.

 _'Even with the knowledge that my son would most likely never gave me his permission, I must admit, Queen Elsa, that there is nothing I would like more than to see my grandchild.'_

She had kept the letter, folded neatly in one of her drawers, out of Hans' reach for it was not for him to read, and had not written any sort of answer to send to the older Queen. She didn't know what to say, hand unmoving even when she had held the feather quill in her hand, above the parchment, as teeth bit against bottom of her lip. Queen Adela herself had admitted that she expect no answer if she was unable to form any, did not expect anything from the daughter in-law that never once she had met.

"This is your grandchild." Pressing a hand to the apex of her round belly, she curved it slowly as her child moved along her touch to make her point. She had felt ridiculous in talking with inanimate objects, to stare at it's silence and knowing that she would never receive an answer in return. But the words had escaped her lips anyway, for she had always wanted to make her parents proud, and Anna had told her that they would with the addition of their family. "I will be a mother soon."

The thought still felt odd, and yet it reminded her of how close that future was for her to reach, how soon it would become her reality. She would hold her child in her arms soon, no longer having it safe and sound as her womb provided it with the security and all the warmth it could offer.

She remembered her dream, one where her parents had come to visit her, to apologize to her, whether it was a friction of her imagination or it was really their spirits showing themselves before her, she still believed it to be her saving grace, a chance for her to let go of the past. And yet, even when she had given her forgiveness, had let go the way that Anna had told her to, there was still something missing. Like a lump in her throat that refused to go away.

She forgave them, but she didn't open her heart, had still pushing the thought of them away from herself and from the family she built, had refused to have the memories of her own parents to be something other than nightmares, to see past the hardship of her life to see the loving parents that they truly were.

This visit, and the ones that would come, hopefully would be her making amends with that.

Suppressing a wince, she placed a soothing hand on the underside of her belly. She had been aching with pains since the morning, causing her discomfort throughout breakfast and after, and yet she had been planning on this visit for quite some time and was not looking forward in having to gather up her courage once more to face her parents.

"Alright, alright, we are heading home now." Her child had been rather impatient, it seemed, for her to return back to the castle, as aside from the discomfort that she had been having, her child had been squirming a lot, pushing against her organs and her bladder. "But promise me, do not tell your Papa about this."

Hans would most likely would not agree with her going out and about when her due was coming closer by the day, especially not hiking up the hill to see her parents who had been serving as a trigger for her emotional state. Yet she had been surprisingly handling it quite well, there was no tears and she felt rather light after actually facing her fear, thus there was truly nothing to be worried about.

Turning around, she nodded at the guard standing at a distance, a sign that she was ready to return.

* * *

"You look pale."

Had his tone did not change, she was doubtful on whether she would have heard what he had just said. Walking down the halls after dinner, they had been engaging in a light conversation of what their day had been, or rather, she had been _trying_ to listen to his words. The pains had not go away, instead had been increasing in frequency and regularity as the day went by. She had tried her best in masking it all, often shifting in her seat or changing her footing when the muscles of her belly tightened, brushing off people's concerned looks.

Yet during dinner there had been one that was intense enough to make her fingers curled around her silverware so tightly she was sure she had bended it. She had leaned forward in her seat then, jaws tightening as she swallowed down the wince that surfaced up. Both Hans and Anna had expressed their confusion and concern, but she had lied through her teeth by saying that the babe had merely kicked a little too hard.

Retiring to her bedchamber had never sounded so relieving for her before, but as she had announced that dinner had ended, she had stood up as quickly as her body could let her, taking Hans' offered hand to help her up to her feet. The walk itself had been rather slow, as the auburn haired Prince had matched her speed of stride, hand rubbing comforting circle on the small of her back.

"Do I?" Even her tongue had no capability to deny, to lie about her being 'fine', as she was sure something was up, if she had to go through with this, though she had refused to put her finger on a certainty for fear of misjudging the situation.

And as soon as the words had left her lips, one of the pains had strike so severely that she had halted with a caught back groan, hand pressing against her belly as the other had gripped her husband's arm fiercely, nails digging into the fabric of his jacket.

"Elsa?" His voice bear the tone of concern, a little bit of fearful, as he did not even comment on her vice-like grip, simply moving to support her a little better as she struggled to breathe through the pain. "Is everything alright?"

Her head nodded as she felt the pain reducing, fading as it came down from it's peak back into nothingness, looking up at him with a reassuring smile. "Yes, I'm fine, I'm-" a sudden gush coming between her legs under her skirt had cut her off as she bend down to look over her belly to see the steady stream trickling onto the wooden flooring. "No, I'm not fine."

Looking down onto what she had referring to, Hans had thankfully understood the situation that they were in, eyes reflecting a different kind of light as he nodded, swiftly moving to lift her up so effortlessly just as another wave of pain came, prompting her to bury her face against his chest as he began to move down the halls.

"Fetch the midwives!"


	38. Family Bond

**Please note that I have zero idea of how childbirth feels and looks like, I have only read fics and watch clips of scenes from various shows, so if there is any sort of error in my writing, please do forgive me.**

Time felt as if rolling slowly and yet quickly at the same time.

She couldn't understand it let alone describe it. The pain was barely bearable, nothing in her life could be compared to it, teeth gritting as another contraction drove her muscles to buckle and her fingers curling around the sheets below her. Her heart pound hard against her chest, breath coming in quick and short gasps, and she could barely register the faces of people around her, of those moving around to prepare of the necessaries needed to welcome the royal heir once it was born into the world. Even the cold cloth that Anna dabbed against her temples could barely soothe the heat growing under her skin that was able to make the Snow Queen _sweats_.

 _Some women gave up their life for their child's._

There was no denying that she was afraid, very much so, for quite some time now. The wait had only been exciting but at the same time nerve-wrecking; people around her were giddy for this time to come, impatient as they desired to see the child the Queen bears, and they failed to see how _scared_ she was. The haunting possibilities of bad things happening during the labor, of the complications that she could be in that endangered not only her life but her child's, loomed above her like a dark stormy cloud. And now that she was truly there, that the labor was really happening right now, her fear had only been turned into a dawning reality.

"You shouldn't be here, Your Highness." A voice spoke, the midwife perhaps or maybe one of her ladies, she couldn't tell, couldn't focus her mind to figure out. "This is no place for a man."

Her hand moved in an instant the moment she felt the mere _shift_ at her side, fingers curling around her husband's arm. "He stays." It was a command rather than a request that came through her gritted teeth, determined and unchallenged. He was her husband and the father of their child, he would not leave her side no matter what happened or what people said.

Her control over her magic thinned out.

Yet she had anticipated such thing to happen, had expect her magic to slowly get out of her control as the time rolled by, and so she had worn the pair of gloves stored in one of the drawers of her vanity. Her Mother's.

She had requested for it to be fetched by her sister earlier, and although the Princess was bewildered by the fact that the older sister still had a pair inside her bedchamber –as her gloves had all been stored up in the attic, she had nodded knowingly after she was told of who they were once belonged to. Her fingers _itched_ with the swirling magic, but no frost had grown on the sheets, only a small amount had been spotted at the edges of the glass windows as the sky outside darkened, and she knew that the gloves had helped with that.

Hours passed, exhaustion heavy against her body and mind, and yet her child had not yet come.

"The baby has not moved much." She had pushed with all her might until tears gathered in her eyes and blurred her vision, she was sure of it, so why it seemed that the energy she had spent had brought nothing, she just wanted to have her child. "We have to do something."

 _Something is not right._

 _We have to get the baby out._

"Hans," her chest heaved as she turned her head to look at her husband, eyes searching for his. "Remember your promise."

"What promise?" She could see the solemn look at Hans had on his face as he looked up to meet with the Princess' question. "Hans, what did she made you promise to her?" Anna's voice was edging into a warning tone as her hand gripped the older sister's, and when his lips did not move to answer her, her voice rose. "Tell me!"

"If anything happens, we save the baby."

"But nothing will happen!"

Once upon a time, long ago when she was Queen with a shiny new crown resting on top of her head and the responsibility of a whole kingdom had only been placed onto her shoulders, she had sworn it upon herself as not to reduce herself into a _begging mess_. But she was young and naïve back then, with a distant sister and wedded to a man she barely knew, not a woman who loved her family the way she did now and a child whose future depended on her. She had changed for the better. "Anna, please." For now she would do _anything_ to save her child, to give it the chance to be born into the world, even when that world did not have her in it. "Just save my child, _please_."

The edges of her vision darkened, eyelids heavy as she sunk further into the pillows supporting her, feeling as if her mind had started to disconnect from her body, unable to feel or hear anything as her eyes fluttered.

She remembered this feeling, faintly, of the weightless sensation, floating without burden as darkness coming to embrace her and pull her into peaceful nothingness as her grip over reality beginning to slip away.

 _"Breathe, Elsa. Just breathe."_ It was her Father just now, with the same calming tone he often used whenever her emotions had gone out of her control and left her standing frozen in place, tears welling in her eyes when she believed that she had failed in something.

 _"Be strong, my darling."_ Mother… she could almost feel her warm hands holding hers like gloves wrapping around her skin, the way she smiled as she placed her daughter's hand against her cheek with no fear, reassuring, comforting.

 _"You'll always have me."_ Anna had promised her that, with the warm smile as she held her hand, turquoise eyes bright and wide, gentle and loving.

 _"Promise me something. That you will fight to live, no matter how hard it is, you will not surrender."_

She promised Hans that, in exchange for his promise of saving their dearest child, to choose it over her because she knew that if their child did not live then she was unsure if _she_ could live, could resist the temptation of losing the life in her eyes, because at least if their child survived then a part of her would be as well. She wanted him to take that promise to heart, so naturally so did he to her, and yet there she was, slipping away…

 _"Mama!"_

Something jerked within her, as if her heart had suddenly leapt, and she could feel her grip against Anna and Hans' hands becoming more real, fingers curling around their hold, registering their presence at her sides, supporting her. A surge of energy suddenly filled her as her eyes snapped open, body leaning forward as she put every last bit of her will into pushing, her ears rung and her lungs burned as she screamed as loud as she possibly could, letting out everything she had.

Her body fell back onto the pillows, shoulders dropping and breathe coming in pants as platinum hair stuck against her skin glistened with sweat. Then she heard it, the small wailing of a new life exposed to the cold air after spending months protected and embraced by the warmth of it's mother's womb.

"A boy!" The midwife had announced gleefully as she held the wailing child swaddled in white. "Her Majesty has given birth to a healthy baby boy!"

A son. She has a son.

"Give him to me." Her body had felt so exhausted earlier, but her arms had move to reach for her son –gloves slipping off just as her hands got out of the grasp that had been holding them, unable to resist the urge to see him for herself, to truly assure herself that he was there and he was real and he was as healthy as she wanted him to be. "Let me see my son."

It was a perfect fit when she held him in her arms.

He had been crying so loudly for such a small baby, proving to her that his lungs were working perfectly, and yet he had calmed down the moment his body made contact with her chest, her thumping heart soothing him as the frown he had slowly faded away. His hands were so tiny that it could wrap around her pinkie the moment she offered it to him to hold onto, lips pursed into the most adorable pout as she let out a small tired laugh.

Because he was there, her son was there and so did she, and no one had to lose anyone and say goodbye because both of them pulled through the hardness of labor _together_.

Anna's fingers quietly came to caress the young Prince's cheek, cautious as if she feared she may disturb him, but once she was sure that she didn't, her body visibly relaxed as her head came to rest against her older sister's shoulder, eyes not leaving the sight of her newborn nephew, already enchanted by him.

She looked up to see her husband watching her, gentle proud smile on his face before he leaned down, lips meeting hers in a chaste kiss, it was short and innocent and yet felt as if it worth more, filled with so much meaning even in such quick contact.

"I love you."

They had almost lose each other, in that moment where she had almost let darkness to consume her and take her away from her family, she could only imagine how seeing her in such state must have been for him. But now they both could breathe freely, there was nothing else that they should worry over, as their family was safe and sound.

"And I, you."

 **You know, I can just leave this here but since I want to explore a bit more with the baby boy, especially since I haven't even name him, this fic is not yet finished.**


	39. Two Queens

Wilhelm Andreas Westergaard.

They had always wanted to name their child after Anna, considering that she was the Queen's dearest sister and had always been Arendelle's cherished Princess with her huge heart that welcomed anyone and offer comfort and love no matter who or where they came from. Her kindness and humble self was one of the many things that the platinum blonde haired Queen always wanted for her child to have. Though now, considering that he was born as a boy and the name did not fit quite nicely, they had to improvise a little.

When they were little, she and Anna had once played pretend, posing as Princes to make fun of the Lords and Dukes over their antics as they present themselves before the King and Queen. The act had successfully made their parents laugh, with them even pulling their hairs back to make them appear shorter and when Anna had drawn on a funny moustache on her own face once. Playing pretend was not fun without actual names, and so they had become Prince Elias and Prince Andrew, respectively.

To say that the Princess was overflowing with joy when she noticed the mix between the two names for the young Prince's middle name would be an understatement.

The baptism was held a few days after Wilhelm's birth.

They had waited until the Queen was fit and strong enough to attend the whole ceremony, for the hard labor had bedridden her, leaving her with strength just enough to move when the servants made quick work of changing the sheets and cleaning everything before she returned to lie back down on it with a new clean nightgown, body aching all over that even standing up was such a strain for her. But she was already content with cuddling her son, unable to have him out of her sight that even when she took a long deserving nap she had her arm securely around him, not letting him to sleep in the bassinet that was brought into the bedchamber.

And she had also dismissed of the wet nurse.

She had never plan on having her son to feed from someone else, though it was very common and often viewed as a tradition for royal mothers –especially Queens, to _not_ feed their own children. Other Queens would already have chosen the wet nurse for their child before the labor, determining whether they fit for the role and was free of any sort of disease that could endanger the newborn. She had never chosen anyone, as she believed that the safest way to care for her son was for her to feed him herself, as she would be the one to watch what she ate and know of her body condition. Despite that, it seemed that her Council had made the choice themselves, as a young woman had walked into the Queen's bedchamber, ready to feed the Crown Prince, before the platinum blonde haired Queen had gently tell her no.

Besides, how could she ever miss the sight of little Wilhelm suckling so hungrily, tiny fist curled against the fair skin of his Mother's breast, eyes fluttering every once in a while and even opened for a short amount of time to stare up back at her. Babies tend to be born with blue eyes, though Hans had expressed his own delight should their son inherit her clear blue eyes, as it seemed he had inherited his hair, as he had been born with a small tuft of auburn on top of his head.

He didn't even leave her embrace during the ball afterwards, huddled up against his Mother's chest as she greeted the royal guests that had come to pay their respect for the birth of the new Crown Prince, sleeping rather peacefully. The Corona royal family had come too, with Marlene perched up against her Mother's hip, hiding her face shyly against Rapunzel's neck when the Queen of Arendelle had approach to welcome her with a smile, brunette hair already growing long and thick as it framed her gleaming green eyes.

"Hans."

His body turned frigid by her side as both royals stood at one side of the ballroom -having just conversed with the Duke of Spain, shoulders visibly tensing and jaw tightened as she watched the change of air around her husband's figure from the corner of her eyes. The weight of their newborn son in her embrace prevent her from reaching up to touch his arm before both wordless turned their bodies around, meeting the gaze of the older lady that had called for his name.

"Mother."

"Queen Adela."

The once unknown figure in a part of her life -the Queen of the Southern Isles and the mother of her beloved husband, had now come to form right before her eyes after approximately two years had passed ever since the union between the two neighboring kingdoms by the marriage of the Queen and the youngest Prince. She had held herself high, body straight and proper, no hunch seen in her figure, regal in her dark red dress that was almost black.

"What are you doing here?" the tone in Hans' voice had been laced with venom, bitter and clearly at displease, that she had glance over to him with a warning look, for he must have the knowledge that they were to be welcoming to their guests if they wish for a good relation to form. Yet Queen Adela herself did not even flinch at her son's manner, had given no word of it.

"I am invited, of course."

They had never _specifically_ invited her, as the letter sent had been one that was addressed as an official matter that -like the others, would have been responded with the attendance of a representative more than the royal family themselves, especially not the reigning Queen.

"What are your intentions, Mother?"

"Hans," this time, a low hiss of warning was what came from her as her brows furrowed at the auburn-haired Prince, for such question was improper to be demanded, so much distrust in his voice told her that he was not reluctant in expressing his displeasure. "Don't."

"To attend my grandson's baptism. After all, that _is_ what we are celebrating, wouldn't you agree?" She was bold, words just as sharp, that even without the sight of the similar shade of auburn of her hair and the piercing gaze of her green eyes she would know that this was indeed Hans' mother. "That is him, is it not?"

Hans' arm came to cross in front of her figure in a defensive manner the moment that Queen Adela had nodded toward the bundle she was holding. "He is asleep." Unaware of what had transpired around him, of the tension that was thick in the air as he snuggled comfortably against his mother's chest.

"Do not take me as a fool, Hans." Her eyes rolled while her hands remained clasped in front of her, eyeing her youngest son with a shake of her head. "I know you would never even have me in the same room with your wife and son if you can help it, let alone come close." She was aware of what her son thought of her then, of how hostile he was to his own family, and it surprised even her. For Hans to discuss it with her as his wife behind closed doors was acceptable, but for him to express it right before his mother was something else, and the reaction that the older Queen displayed was not of being offended but rather… accepting. "I am merely come to congratulate you of his birth as well as to see you."

His hands clenched as he had not even changed his posture, his arm still stretched outward in front of her and Wilhelm protectively. He did not trust his own mother -which she could not entirely blame for, seeing that no one in the Southern Isles had bothered to send a letter for him ever since his departure to Arendelle. "We are honored to have you here tonight with us, Your Majesty." Yet she had to be the rational one, to put an end to the tension before they could attract the attention of others in the ballroom, and to make sure that Arendelle showed hospitality to everyone.

Green eyes glanced over to her, and she almost thought that Queen Adela had even _forgotten_ that she was standing there, too absorbed in her own son to notice, and there was a small smile that formed on her face that did not quite reach her eyes. "Of course, Queen Elsa. After all it has been quite a while since I last see my son, enough for him to have one of his own now." She had been daring enough to come, after what she had told her in her letter, going against her own judgement in the matter. "And stop looking over my shoulder like a scaredy-cat, Hans, I have come alone."

The added comment made her own shoulders tensed, if only slightly, for never once she ever saw Hans as someone who was easily frightened that he would be called as so, if any she had never seen him like so, always putting on a brave face and be the one who encourage others to not cower back, especially during her hardship before the reveal of her powers. For something to frighten Hans to the point of coming into an automatic lookout… she could only imagine what it could possibly be.

"Now that you have seen me, Mother, what more could you possibly want?"

"What I want the most, I am certain you would not give me, so let us not bother going there." The way that the Queen of the Southern Isles had easily dismissed of the subject made her shift her weight to her other foot uncomfortably. "But I would like to speak to the Queen of Arendelle alone."

The auburn-haired Prince turned to her straight away, with the disapproving expression she knew all too well, he was perhaps uncomfortable with the prospect of her speaking with his mother alone, but what could Queen Adela do that would harm her anyway? Thus why she had turned toward the older woman, nodding as she passed the sleeping babe into his father's arms, motioning for him to take Wilhelm for the time being. And, although uncertain, Hans had thankfully did not argue her further, turning and walking away to find a quiet place where he could stand with Wilhelm so that his sleep would go undisturbed.

"He has not told you of his life in the Southern Isles, has he?"

Only a mere idea of how his brothers had treated him, of how it was for him being the youngest of the thirteen Princes of a kingdom, nothing overly specific was ever mentioned, the memory may have been too painful for even her husband to tell. "He does not like to speak of it." Unlike she who had a certain limit to how much pressure she was able to handle before breaking down, it seemed that Hans was far more comfortable in burying it all deep within himself that often times she had to work hard into making him speak. "What is it that you wish to speak to me about, Queen Adela?"

"Only that I wish to thank you, Queen Elsa, for bringing my son the joy and happiness that he deserves." After seeing of how _hardened_ the older Queen was, she was taken quite by surprise when there was a slight softening in her eyes when she looked at her. "As you may have imagined, having thirteen boys were such a hard task and to make them feel equal was even harder. I am aware that I am not a good mother, I rarely ever show affection to my sons in an attempt to stray away from jealousy between them. My husband had only favored the older ones as he saw them to have the most potential and for that it is not strange that the youngers fought to prove themselves. Hans did too, he always does, as he is a very hardworking boy, perhaps a little too much."

Had those that was supposed to be Hans' brothers saw him as a threat then, another challenger in their twisted game of proving their self-worth that needed to be rid of? Their youngest brother that had only wished to be viewed by their own father just like the rest of them?

"He is lucky that he is destined to marry you, Queen Elsa. Betrothal among the royal families doesn't always end well, but seeing him now with you and having a son, of how defensive he had become toward me earlier, I knew he loves you with all his heart then."

"And I, him." She rarely ever spoken of her love for her husband, they showed it through gestures and words of care in public, but rarely ever a raw choice of word. But standing before his mother, hearing of the words coming from her very lips, she had the urge to say it.

The corner of Queen Adela's lips tugged into what she may have passed as a smile. "I know, Queen Elsa."

 **Sorry for the long wait, I got stuck and life also got in the way sometimes, but I managed.**

 **I chose their child to be a boy partly because both Idina and Caissie both have a son, so it's a little nod to the talented ladies.**


	40. Two Are Needed to Dance

**I had the urge to call this chapter "Teamwork Makes the Dream Works" but I resisted.**

The strangest thing was, embarrassment was the last thing that she felt at that moment.

With the high of celebration regarding the birth of the Crown Prince fading as the days rolled by, the life within the castle's walls had fallen back into the pattern of regularity. The Queen did not waste much time of straying away from her duties and responsibilities, as she knew there were many waiting for her to put her attention into and she could not rely on both Hans and Anna forever. It took some time for her to adjust Wilhelm into her day, for she did not wish to miss out on taking care of him either, though she understood that the help of his nannies would have to be accepted still, she was actually rather thankful of it now.

Attending meetings with her Council was proved to be a little difficult though, when her mind kept drifting away to her son upstairs even when according to Anja -one of Wilhelm's nannies, he had spent most of his time sleeping when she was busy taking care of the kingdom.

It felt odd when instead of feeling his movement in her womb she was greeted with nothingness when she placed her hand over her stomach that had not yet reduced back to it's original size -which frustrated her to some degree but Gerda assured her it would be back to normal with time. She… longed for her babe's company; to have him to talk to when she was working alone, his mere presence was comforting. Now that he has been born, she had to actually make her way into his nursery just to see him.

"Your Majesty," the uncertainty in Lord Melbourne's voice had taken her mind back to the men at the table, who had their eyes on the Queen who rose her eyebrow in question. "You're… _leaking_."

Her head tilted down then, heaving out a sigh at the sight of the incident over her left breast. It had aching since about halfway through the meeting, yes, but she had originally thought she would be fine until the end; apparently, she was mistaken. Yet instead of the flush of red she thought she would be bearing across her cheeks, she had simply moved her singular braid over the wet spot of her dress before looking back up. "I believe we can end this meeting for the day as my son would shortly need me more than you do at the moment."

She had stood up and made her way toward the door when she had heard the whispers behind her back, of the fact that this would not have happened should she was not being stubborn with insisting to breastfeed her son instead of accepting the wet nurse. Her jaw tightened at that, ice magic swirling right under her fingertips, but her irritation had disappeared the moment she met Anja at the door with her hand halfway raised to knock on the door.

"The Prince has woken up, Your Majesty."

Nodding her head, she had merely made the request for a fresh new dress to be brought up for her as she made her way up the stairs, already hearing her son's cries even from the staircase, hitching up the skirt of her dress to pick up her pace.

He was already attended to when she reached the nursery, but it was clear for everyone that it was his mother that he needed the most. Letting her ladies-in-waiting to undo the laces on the back of her much simpler dress -as her usual ones would take too much time, she was quick to hold and gently rocked the still weeping child, lowering herself onto the armchair by the window without bothering with the need to look up and see the ladies leaving through the door, not with her focus on feeding her son as the top of her priority.

The sight of him alone had already able to captivate her, eyes barely even glancing away from how his mouth moved so hungrily, tiny hand clenching up into a fist, cheeks flushing red so adorably she could not help but to lean down and press a loving kiss, inhaling the unique baby scent that she had grown in love with.

"I knew I would find you here."

She had heard the door opening, of his footsteps coming in and approaching her, but she had not bothered to look up even then, too much in awed in watching their son that her attention could not be divided. "Where else would I be?"

His lips pressed against her own cheek as his hand came to cradle Wilhelm's head with such care as not to cause any sort of harm, sitting down on the arm of the chair. "He looks like you," his murmur was low and quiet, mindful as not to disturb the young Prince. When she –who had let her head to lean against him, had questioned where his comment had come from, as she was sure that she did not look like a newborn baby at all, he had only chuckled. "When you are asleep."

"I do not look like that when I'm asleep."

"Oh, but you do." His head turned to press a light kiss on her temple before turning his attention back to the child, whose lips had now loosened around her nipple as he found himself quite full already. "The way his lips pursed, you did that sometimes."

Her eyes rolled then. "I do not."

Hans was already on his feet, ready to take over with Wilhelm even without the need for her to speak up after he had placed the burping cloth on his shoulder, holding him up securely before his hand started to work on patting the babe's back, rocking gently on the sole of his boots while she fixed her dress.

From the day Wilhelm was born, the auburn-haired Prince had never once complained when it comes to giving a helping hand in caring for him, had taken the responsibility rather seriously actually, willing to do anything he could to ease her, as he had found each interaction with his son a precious moment he did not wish to pass up, much like she did.

 _"Other fathers would have been very reluctant."_

Then she was thankful that he was not like the others. He was not the man who would simply turn a blind eye when it comes to their child and expect the women to do all the work by herself, never once did he ever think that caring for his son was something that would shame a man.

"I do wonder if he would inherit your powers."

She had almost choked on the lump that had suddenly formed in her throat the moment he had expressed his wonder to her, shifting uncomfortably in her seat as she hurried her fingers into tugging her dress into it's proper place. "By God, I hope you're _wrong_." One ice-wielding royalty currently sitting on the throne was enough for Arendelle to handle, if it's next ruler -the newborn Crown Prince himself, possessed the same magic as his mother then the chance of it turning _disastrous_ was high.

Wilhelm's hair was far from her platinum blonde color, which had her breathing a sigh of relief the moment she had laid her eyes on him for the first time, for many had believed that her hair color was the ultimate indication that she possessed magic. But now that Hans spoke of it, of his innocent little wonder, she had only felt rather panic-stricken, as what if he possessed it still no matter what color his hair had taken.

The reaction that she had given him made his head turned to look up at her, brows furrowing at the expression that she had, of her tightly pulled lips and the hardness of her jaw, though he had not said a word.

"Hans, he _can't-_ " their son surely had not inherited her ability -she used to call it a curse and he called it a gift thus a middle point was made, no one that she knew in her family heritage had it, so surely it was only for her to bear. "We would have known."

"Well, he sneezed and no snow flurry had come up."

And his skin did not feel cold, unlike hers, it was warm and had caused Anna to be unable to resist the urge to cuddle him too; his grip over things -mostly people's fingers, had not caused any sort of frost to grow and bite the air. He's… he can't be having her magic, she was sure of it.

"Magic or not," Hans had given the babe back into her arms now, to let her hold him and rocked him until he fell back asleep, while his own hands had come to comfortingly caressed her upper-arms. "He will be fine, Elsa."

 **Also, I'm watching Frozen II tomorrow, but will not put any sort of spoiler into this story, no worries. Watching it will help determined whether I would make a continuing with a third book though.**


	41. A Shared Burden

**So... Frozen II and a possible sequel to this. I have not quite get any idea of how to weave them together, I have random thoughts but no exact possible content, but I'll keep you guys updated.**

 **And hi, Defying Gravity Elsa, welcome to the family!**

He was growing faster than she would have liked.

Seeing him grow made her heart fluttered with a sense of pride of how well she had raised him, of how she felt she had managed to be a proper mother, even when it had only been three months of it. Wilhelm was entirely loved and adored by everyone in the castle, even her Council could not help the smile that grew on their faces when she had walked passed them with the boy in her arms that now seemed to enjoy grabbing the end of her braid and trying -and failing, to put it in his little mouth. It was one of the reasons that she had been keeping her hair in one thick braid instead of pulling them into a bun, to see how Wilhelm struggled and scowled at the prospect of failing to eat his mother's hair was a hilarious feat she often involve herself in.

Hans loved to bring him into her study, when she was clearly busy with paperwork, acting as if he had no intention in prying her off her duty for a while when at the same time he knew _exactly_ how, cooing their son and speaking to him of how busy she was that she couldn't play with little boy, which always made her roll her eyes and set her quill down. Because God, she couldn't resist those wide blue eyes that Wilhelm had staring at her from his father's arms. And so, she would fell into her husband's wicked scheme each time.

Wilhelm loved playing on the thick carpets all around the castle -it was why she made sure that the servants cleaned them regularly, lying on his stomach, hands had started to grab the plush toys she and Hans leave in his reach, and still with all his attempt to put anything and everything into his mouth.

"He's going to be such a foodie." Anna mused one day, as she had laid on the ground by her nephew's side, prying the rattle away from his lips for what seemed to be the hundredth time that day. "Sneaking off into the kitchen, climbing the counters to reach the top shelves-"

"Like his aunt, basically." She commented with a hint of amusement as she continued on working at her desk, once in a while glancing up to see what her son and her sister was doing. It caused Anna to stick her tongue out at her direction. "I'm only telling the truth, Anna." If asked of how often did she had Gerda reporting of her younger sister's attics of trying to steal the snacks and chocolate from the kitchen when no one was watching then she could only roll her eyes and shake her head, it was too much to count.

Instead of arguing further, the strawberry-blonde haired Princess had simply rolled her eyes and turned her attention back at her nephew, running her finger from his forehead and trailed down the bridge of his nose before giving a gentle 'boop' at the tip of it. The gesture made Wilhelm gurgle with a wide smile forming on his face, which in turn made _her_ grin up at him.

But the sudden whimper that came from him had the Queen's head looking up from the reports she was overseeing, she was far too familiar with the sound that she had placed the paper she was holding down as Anna got up and lifted the toddler up just as he began to cry. "Hungry, right?"

Nodding, she had smiled at her sister as a form of confirmation. Anna had been learning to tell the differences in Wilhelm's whines and cries -no matter how slight they may be, and both sisters had fallen into a game of guessing since the Queen had long since mastered it. "Like you've said, a foodie."

"Those cheeks never lie." Anna laughed as she poked the boy's round and flushed cheek, skin so soft that it had become one of her favorite things to do whenever she was in the same room as he. "It's very fortunate that Gerda had recommended these dresses for you, it's far more practical."

And indeed it was. Her simple laced back dress was already a gift of it's own, but these new dresses that had extra laces at the _front_ -allowing her to undo them herself without the need to ask for any sort of assistance was almost too good to be true. Designed so that it opened just enough to allow her to breastfeed and not undressing her completely, it made sure that she would not be caught in any inappropriate situation, though she still had to watch for her son's curious wandering hands whenever she held him.

Sitting back down behind her desk, Anna had turned her gaze away to allow for some privacy, only for her to turn back around to see the older sister holding her nursing son with one arm while the other held the paper she previously had back up to read. "What was it that you said to me back then, Elsa?" hand gesturing to the sight before her, the platinum-blonde haired Queen had raised her eyebrow -if only for a moment, before chuckling.

"Mothers are natural multitasker?"

"Yes, that." It had been her saying to both Hans and Anna when they first saw her caring for her son while working on her paperwork at the same time; the sight had baffled them both, of how she could balance things evenly and keep her focus on both tasks. "You made motherhood looked way too easy."

If only it was the truth. Anna had only seen about half of what motherhood was, during the better half of it. She didn't see firsthand of how exhausted she could be when Wilhelm had been particularly fussy and refused his nannies, forcing the Queen to take matters into her own hand, of how he could cry all night and kept her away from sleeping because she had to cuddle him close at all times, especially during the first month since his birth. Hans had his share of fussy Wilhelm as well, when she truly could not stand it anymore and had been driven to the brink of tears herself, juggling between soothing their son and keeping her from breaking her sanity.

"Yes, I can't wait to see how you do it."

* * *

"My past… I do not wish to burden you with it."

The curiosity that she had over her husband's life before their marriage had always been there at the back of her head, lurking and waiting for her to satisfy it with answers that he had always been reluctant to give. Sometimes it had emerged right before her, when Hans had acted or spoken whenever the Southern Isles was mentioned, or when Queen Adela had paid a sudden visit during their son's baptism. But mostly it had remained in it's place, almost forgotten as her mind was occupied with other things that she had to attend to.

She didn't think that he himself would be the one to bring it up to her.

Not when they were spending a peaceful afternoon walk down the royal gardens, just the two of them enjoying each other's company without disturbance as Wilhelm was sound asleep up in his nursery and Anna had gone out to the town, their respective duties for the day already done as they waited for dinner to come.

"Didn't we promise to take care of each other, Hans?" His admit had made her brows knitted in a furrow, as she turned her head to look at the man at her side. They promised, that whatever come in their way whether it was personally or to the both of them at the same time, that they would shoulder it together as the husband and wife that they were.

The chuckle that came from him was bitter, as if he was laughing at himself more than she, as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Yes, that's why it had been gnawing on my mind since Wilhelm's baptism." Had he truly been troubled by this fact for more than three months' time? "I realized, a little too late, that I had been selfish these past two years of being wedded to you."

He had led her to the stone bench under the big tree that she and Anna had once climbed up during their childhood, where not only once did they had fallen down and scrapped their knees, crying in pain and yet unable to keep their amusement when their mother had scolded them as she tend to their wounds. "Hans," she had started before he could even open his mouth, hand touching his. "If you do not wish to talk about it, then don't. I can wait."

"No, I want to, Elsa. If anyone deserves to know, it's you." He gave her a reassuring smile, as he turned his hand so that their fingers could intertwined on his lap. "Besides, compared to you and your secret of magical power, then this is barely anything."

"There should not be any comparison, Hans. We have our own struggles."

The words had perhaps soothe him in a way, as she could see how he had exhaled a brief sigh of relief before he braced himself for his own journey into the bitterness of his past. "My Father only favored the older sons, to put it simply." She had heard of it before, from his mother, and his statement now had only strengthened the truth. "He believed the strong should pick on the weak, so my brothers bullying me is only viewed as a show of strength, he… encourages that, actually." Her hold tightened around his hand then, to hear that a father was capable of such thing to his own sons… she could not even fathom it. "He unabashedly acknowledges that my presence disgusted him even when I have no idea what I have done wrong besides being born as the youngest."

"That," _can't be right_. Being born was not a reason to suffer so cruelly under the taunts of his own family, it was never a mistake in the first place. Her thought went straight to Wilhelm, to imagine if he had to go through what Hans did, her heart starting to pound at the mere idea of it as ice grew at the tips of her fingers before she retracted them after the slight squeeze of Hans' hand as a reminder for her that she was still holding onto him. "Oh Hans."

 _"He is lucky that he is destined to marry you, Queen Elsa."_ Queen Adela's words were not merely because their marriage had turned into one full of love instead of a mere political business, it was also because he was lucky that he could get away from the abusive royal family he was unfortunate to born into.

"Do not weep for me over it, darling." His hand had left hers, moving to cup against her face instead, thumb running over her cheekbone with a smile. "I have put it behind me. All I want to do with it is that to learn so that I do not turn into what my family is."

"For our son."

"And for the others we may have in the future."


	42. A Dance Under the Moonlight

_"Betrothal is beneficial for the kingdom."_

Her lips pursed at the words that the Council had thrown at her. They were not wrong in that aspect should she sees it from the political point of view, it was what had brought she and Hans together, but she did not have the heart to let it happen again, especially since Anna had seemed to fancy Kristoff so much. Her younger sister deserved to marry for love with the man that she had chosen herself instead of falling into a marriage that she doubted would bring her happiness. Her position as the Queen's heir had been pushed down with Wilhelm's birth, now she was below him when it comes to inheriting the crown, and it seemed that people now see her as nothing more than an asset that could connect Arendelle with another kingdom.

"But of course, your aunt is more than just that, wouldn't you agree?" Holding up the spoonful of soup, she smiled as soon as Wilhelm's hand came out to reach for it as he babbled, taking it as his agreement to her statement. "She's a wonderful person with a heart of gold that deserves the world." Not just a mere pawn for the men to drag across the board they way they had once attempted with the young and newly crowned Queen. "And she can marry anyone she wanted to."

His babbles continued on, only pausing whenever he had food in his mouth, and even then his lips moved so adorably as he ate that she could not resist the temptation of giggling. His growth was closely watched by her, for even the smallest of new things that he was able to do would be cherished for her, she had to know _everything_. Up to this point, in the nine months that he had been living, the proudest moment that she had was when she had caught the word 'mama' in between his babbles. He may had not understand what that meant, but her heart had swelled nonetheless.

But her worry over betrothal had expand beyond her sister. Her son would also be subjected to it, once he was of age or when a certain kingdom had sent a letter for her to unite their kingdoms. She had once again pursed her lips then, for she could not see herself in her father's shoe, signing off her precious Wilhelm to marry for a mere sake of Arendelle. What if he had grown more like his aunt? With a carefree spirit and a heart ready to love, but had gotten someone who will not view and cherish that part of him? To drive him to hide himself? The thought had made her shudder.

"Mm…" the soft call made her looked up from the now empty bowl in her hand, though she had frowned when Wilhelm's attention had not been toward her, but instead toward the window, eyes wide and hand reaching out. "Mm…"

Setting the bowl down, she lifted the toddler up from his chair and held him up against her hips instead. "What is it? What do you see?" Coming toward the high window, she had leaned forward to look out to what could possibly had taken his interest but had seen nothing but the valley across the fjord. "Was it a passing bird?" Perhaps it was, or a butterfly, anything that could show itself to a certain toddler up in the castle's tower. Shaking her head, for it was such a foolish thing for her to think that something else might have been the cause of his distraction -besides children his age does tend to get distracted quite easily, she turned and began to walk away, ready to get him to clean up.

Whatever it was that Wilhelm had seen, bothered him.

He had kept on insisting to crawl toward the windows, propping himself up with both hands pressed against the glass, blue eyes curiously searching beyond the walls, even when nighttime had come and even she could barely see anything but the dark sky.

"Maybe he _heard_ something?" her brows had furrowed at Hans' guess when she had brought the subject up, as he stood there watching their son sitting by the window, hand patting against the glass as he babbled on.

"From outside? It's not possible, Hans."

His only respond was a shrug then, for even he had no idea on what the young Prince was truly up to. Sighing, she moved to join Wilhelm by sitting down beside him, taking the toddler up onto her lap and her embrace. He needed his sleep, and she needed hers.

She hummed a tune that was once sung to her and Anna by their own mother when they were little, a lullaby that was certain to bring them into slumber. She had sung this back when she was still pregnant, when there was none but her and her unborn child in the room under the bright sunlight or the silver moonlight, and when Wilhelm had been born she had sung it to lull him to sleep too.

Fighting off the amused smile from her face as she watched Wilhelm's eyes fluttered heavily as she patted against his bottom gently until he truly had snuggled against her chest with an even breathing. His belly was full already, as she had breastfed him before giving him a chance to play a little on the carpeted floor, so hopefully he would not wake in the dead of night. "Goodnight, little Prince." Placing a kiss on his forehead, noting of how the curls of his auburn hair had grown so much, she got up with care as not to stir him back up, making her way to his crib and lying him down onto the soft bed, pulling the blanket up to keep him away from the cold.

"That song is magical, I'm telling you." Hans commented once they were out in the halls, taking her hand in his as they made their way toward their own bedchamber, and she had chuckled in return, for a song to be magical was quite amusing. "Your mother sung it for you and Anna, right?"

"Yes, while rubbing the bridge of our noses with her pinkie. Anna will snore in a matter of _seconds_ , I can guarantee you that." Perhaps it was her laughter at her own memory of how her mother could easily quiet the hyper Anna down in a flash or perhaps it was something else, but Hans had suddenly lifted their joined hands up in the air before twirling her around as they walked, which had only made her laugh further at the sudden motion. "What are you doing, darling?"

"Having a dance under the moonlight with my wonderful wife." The seriousness in his voice had her shaking her head just as he pulled her close, bodies flushed together as his other hand moved to hold her waist and so she cannot help but put hers on his shoulder. It was truly a dance then. "It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"We have no song." And they were wearing their sleeping wear, no less.

"Then you shall sing, just like when you did in the mountains years ago."

"Don't remind me." She groaned, feeling rather embarrassed that she had burst into a song in the middle of a grove up in the snowy mountains, though it was the first time that she ever let go of her powers, had dared to knowing that he was there watching her. "It was so silly."

"Come on, Elsa, just this once. No one is around to hear."

So she did, just because Hans could be so _persuading_ sometimes. Humming quietly as their bodies swayed, minding her footing as she let him twirled her around and even lifted her whole body up into the air once or twice so easily as if she was not a mother of one, and she had laughed with how _freeing_ it felt for her, to recall of the feeling when they were new to love, when the world felt as if there was only them two in it. They loved Wilhelm so much, there was no doubt in there, but they had been so busy with their own days and businesses that they barely had time for each other.

Smooth layer of ice grew under the feet and Hans had almost slipped, if only her hold on him had not been firm and strong, and she laughed at the bewildered expression gracing his feature just as a pair of skates grew around his bare feet. "What? Are you not up for surprises, husband?"

"I thought _you_ don't like surprises, wife." His teasing smile made her roll her eyes, as it had been their conversation long ago, when she was newly crowned and he was very new in Arendelle, back when she was a timid Queen that had her guard up at all times in fear that she may unleash the power she now had embraced.

"Oh shut it, will you."

 **I may have slipped one or two aspects from Frozen II, but it's so small that those who hasn't watched it wouldn't notice, but not to worry, it doesn't spoil anything. Also slipping moments from the previous fic 'Chess Piece' into this if you're a fan of a blast from the past.**


	43. Do You Want to Build A Snowman?

She didn't quite expect it to be possible.

Snow had fallen in the night when Arendelle was fast asleep, blanketing the kingdom in white, and by the time she had entered the Prince's nursery, he was already propping himself up on his feet, holding tight onto the railings of his crib for support as he excitedly bounced at the sight of gentle falling snow outside his window, babbling away in the early morning.

"Wilhelm," he was not crying, which was rather odd, but it seemed that his excitement had distracted him from it. When she had approached and called for his name, he had turned around, eyes brightening up at the sight of her, before he began to reach out to the window while his babbles had only intensified. He was showing her of it and of how happy it made him. "Oh, you like that, huh? Would you like to see what Mama can do?" Lifting him up, she held him securely with one arm while the other had her palm held up and a small burst of snow appeared under her command, rewarding her with a high squeal as his legs kicked around, and her own laughter was soon followed behind.

She had returned in using her magic after his birth, but back then he was far too young to understand when that happened -and she did avoid using it around him in the first place most of the time to keep him away from the cold, she had made a clear promise not to have her magic be harmful in any way for her son, even the suggestion of having ice decorations created by her in his nursery had been denied for some might break and thus be dangerous for him. But now, sharing her magic with him - _showcasing_ it right before his eyes, and to see his awed reaction, had made her unable to resist the warmth that spread within herself.

This was what she wanted for her magic to become for her and for her family. A harmless thing that she could share to bring joy and happiness to those who see it without any sort of fear from them or from herself. Wilhelm did not even _flinch_ at the sight of how snow had suddenly appeared under his mother's command, he was drawn to it. And his reaction brought her relief, for at least her own son did not fear her for who she was.

Though his interest in her magic had not lasted long, as hunger had started to make it's appearance when the auburn-haired young Prince had grabbed against the fabric of her nightgown, just above her breast, whining as he looked up at her with pursed lips and furrowed brows, making her dismiss of the snow with an amused chuckle. "What? It's you who wants to see snow in the first place." She teased, as she made her way toward the armchair by the window, preparing for his morning nursing while the boy watched the falling snow outside.

With his admiration to snow, he truly was her son.

Her Council had been rather cooperative with her now, and had given her more ease in doing her responsibilities, as for now they had given her the chance to spend the holidays with her family, allowing her to sit with them in the Recreational room, watching how Anna ran around in her attempt to catch Wilhelm -who had became quite an expert in crawling, squeaking as she ran to his rescue every time he came near something that may fallen down or slip. The Princess had insisted that she could handle him, thus why she had only been laughing in amusement as she watched the two from the lounge she was on.

"Kristoff, catch him!"

The blonde-haired mountain man had been quick to lift the young Prince up as he made his way toward the fireplace, frowning at the boy who whined in protest. His stance was a little awkward in holding him, had held him nearing an arm's length as he had expressed his lack of experience with children, and the Princess had come to his rescue by taking her nephew into her arms.

He had been awkward since the morning that he entered the castle's walls, for it was not for any royal business he was involved in and rather for the direct invitation from the Queen to join them, feeling as if he was not supposed to be there. But she wanted to know him better, seeing that the relationship between him and her sister had been nothing but positive with the possibility of an actual courting -Anna still denied that they were looking at that but she could feel it in the way that they looked at each other, and Christmas Eve was a good chance to have him around.

 _Mothers are natural multitasker._

Besides watching over Wilhelm, she had also been watching Kristoff, to see how he acted and behaved, _judging_ him. So far, he had been sincere in his actions, showcasing his true awkward nature that had slowly show itself after his rigid self had slowly melted away the longer he was spending time with them and especially Anna. Having him interact with Wilhelm showed her that he was a gentle person, no matter how towering his build may be. Even Hans, who sat by her side and had even more experience in studying people around him, had given her nothing but positive feedback when no one had been watching them.

Kristoff was, no matter who he was, a good person fitting for Anna.

"Have you given up yet, Anna?" The strawberry-blonde haired Princess was panting as she came to stand before the older sister, holding the toddler that could not stay still even in his aunt's embrace, wandering hands already grabbing onto her braids that Anna had to hold him away from her body. The sight made her had to push down the urge to smile in triumph as the younger sister sighed and nodded, handling the Prince back to his mother.

"He's unbelievable."

"Maybe," she moved to rise up from her seat, carrying Wilhelm with her to the center of the room before she lowered herself until she was sitting on the floor. "With the proper playmate." Motioning for Anna to come join her, she sat the young Prince on her lap. "He likes the snow."

"So does Kristoff! Well, ice for him, but you know, same difference." The said man had his face flushing red then, embarrassed that the Princess had spoke so boldly of his likings and relating him to her nephew. "Wait, are we going to build a snowman?!"

Chuckling as she nodded her head, equally excited that after years of not building snowmen together -an activity both sisters had loved so much during their childhood, she turned her attention back at the task at hand as she looked at her sister. "There's a recipe for making a proper snowman, do you remember it?"

"Wait, what? There is?"

Ah right, Anna wouldn't really remember, would she? She was so young, not to mention a part of her memory had been erased for her own good, she just thought that at least this one would still remain. "Of course there is. First," her hand waved in front of her, upward just as the base of a snowman grew out of thin air. "We have to build him together." Gesturing for the decorative coals and branches, she let Anna completed their snowman while Wilhelm watched quietly on her lap. "Because he's a little bit of you and a little bit of me."

"There's something missing, though…" Anna's head tilted to a side as she looked at the snowman, and she couldn't help but followed along with the motion. "A nose, of course! Kristoff, do you have any spare carrots?"

"Why would he keep a spare carrot around?" Hans had spoken exactly what she was thinking, for she had to admit that it was rather odd for someone to do such thing, and both of their bewildered expression had matched the way their thoughts did when Kristoff had handed Anna -whose face did not even change, a whole _actual_ carrot, watching as the Princess shoved the piece of vegetable onto the snowman's face. "There! Now he's perfect!"

"One more thing, Anna. What will we call him?"

"Olaf!"

 _Hi, I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!_

 _I love you, Olaf!_

"That's right, Olaf." Anna remembered then, of the snowman they had built the last time they had been together, perhaps she even remembered a glimpse of the moment, of how the young Princess clad in her nightgown had so boldly hugged the freezing cold snow with a wide grin on her face. Wilhelm's excited squeal took her attention away from the memory, as she looked down to see him clapping his hands together, pleased. "You like the name too, Wilhelm?" It's the name of her great-grandfather but surely he wouldn't mind.

When the day that come to an end, she had wave her hand over at Olaf on her way out, giving him a coat of frost that would let him maintain his shape so that he would not melt, for Wilhelm had taken quite the liking of him and she didn't have the heart to see him cry if tomorrow his snowman had turned into a sad little puddle overnight.

That had been the last time that they had seen him there, standing still in the middle of the Recreational room.

Because in the one rare morning when Anna had woken up first, no doubt trying to sneak herself into opening one of her gifts early, her scream had echoed throughout the castle walls.

Olaf had not melted, had not been reduced into a pile of wet decorations that stained the wooden floor, quite the contrary he had been very well all thanks to her magic, maybe a little _too well_. For the snowman had moved from the place he was in the night before, instead had walked around the room as he held a conversation with the Princess after she had recovered from her initial shock and had came down from the lounge she was once standing on.

"A… walking talking snowman." Watching as their son gleefully followed the snowman with a high-pitched squeal as he raced across the floor on his hands and knees, both Queen and Prince Consort had been rendered mostly speechless with what her magic had caused. "I would have never expected that coming."

"I don't think that anyone would, Hans."

 **I don't know if I have ever said it before, but I was determined in not having Olaf in this series. But since people had been wanting me to continue this into Frozen II, I find it hard to not have him for the sake of the plot, so here he is now.**


	44. Value of Family

She could not let her guard down.

Moving swiftly around the royal gardens, ears carefully picking up on any sort of sound that would tell her that she was not alone, eyes narrowed to see the smallest of movement behind the bushes and the trees, she had made sure that her footsteps were light and had barely made any sort of sound, watching where she step so that gravels would not give away her position.

Her heart raced against her chest, coldness swirling at the tips of her fingers, she took a deep breath to let a surge of calmness to wash over her, dismissing of the ice ready to come out. "I know you're out there."

A rustle of leaves made her head turned so quickly that she was a little surprised that she didn't get dizzy right away, but there was nothing behind her. But she was sure that she had heard—

"ARGH!" A full force crash against her side, sending her stumbling back as she started to lose her footing with a yelp, though a pair of arms had wrapped around her, catching her before she could tumble and fall down onto her backside, delighted laughter could be heard from her captor. "Got you!"

"Anna!"

The Princess grinned triumphantly as her arms remained around her older sister as they let the surge of their adrenalines come down and their heartrate reduced back into normal. "Got you, Elsa." She repeated, this time with far calmer voice.

"Anna, _she's_ supposed to be the one that get _you_." Hans had revealed himself from behind one of the large bushes, giggling Wilhelm in tow, as he shook his head in disbelief. Olaf too, had come from around one of the trees he had hidden himself behind. "Why weren't you hiding?"

"I was!" the strawberry-blonde haired Princess defended herself as she released her hold, plucking a stray small twig out of her hair, no doubt from when she did hide before she had decided in pouncing the older sister instead. "But she looks so vulnerable, I can't help myself!"

Scowling, she had reached down to lift the young Prince into her arms. "I was trying to locate you by listening." Because most of the time that they played, both Anna and Wilhelm -who had just celebrated his first birthday a couple of months ago, could not help the little giggles that came out from their mouths, and that was what she had been relaying on to find them.

Sticking her tongue out at her sister, the Princess brushed away any other dirt that may have find itself onto the fabric of her dress before blowing away a strand of her hair out of her face. "Rematch? I'll seek this time!"

The sudden lightheaded sensation that washed over her had prevent her from registering the excited clapping from her son, instead her hold on him had tightened as she used him as her anchor, a reason for her not to collapse and bringing him down with her. It was so sudden and yet so quick that when she had regained herself, no one had seemed to notice her. "I think I'll pass this time, Anna."

"Wait, what? Are you sure, Elsa?" The Princess' bewildered expression, for they had only been playing for a little while, was soon replaced with guilt as her eyes suddenly grew wide and her shoulders slumped. "Look, I'm sorry that I jumped on you, don't be mad, Elsa, please."

"No, it's not that, Anna." Moving to pass Wilhelm into her husband's arms, she had shaken her head as she glanced up at the bright clear sky, eyes narrowing at the blinding sunlight. "I think heat doesn't really go well with me, that is all." Hans had expressed his own concern, with a hand placed on her shoulder, which she had held in her own as she gave him a reassuring smile. "Besides, I will sit just there, under the shades."

She was far better in watching anyway.

Under the glaring sunlight, she was even amazed with herself at how her magic was still able to maintain Olaf's form, there was not a single drop of water that had came from the snowman no matter how much he wandered under the heat, which was relieving since he had expressed his love for summer. She watched as Hans brought Wilhelm to hide between the bushes once more, and had to keep a straight face when Anna had turned toward her for help, shaking her head at her sister's attempt of cheating through her.

So far, Hans had been able to keep himself and their son well hidden that even the Princess -with the help of Olaf that had been discovered behind the bed of roses, and could probably keep the game going for far longer if it had not been Wilhelm's whine of discomfort that had blown their covers. When it comes to distracting Wilhelm from a round of tantrum that involved tears and wails whenever the Queen had to separate herself from him, Anna and Hans had worked quite flawlessly. They knew what they had to do, what to say, and how to handle the situation. And now with Olaf as his playmate many cries had been successfully avoided.

Not this one though.

The young Prince had insisted on reaching for his mother, impatient even when his father was on his way in carrying him toward her, hands reaching out as his feet kicked around. The action had made her brows furrowed, as she was sure it was not the time for him to feel hungry and Hans would have known if he had spoiled his pants. Opening her arms to take the boy into her embrace, Wilhelm had stood on her lap instead of sitting, pressing his cheek hard against hers as he visibly relaxed.

"You're hot." She concluded with a laugh as she held him close, the palm of her hands decreasing in their temperature, and the young Prince had squealed in joy as he snuggled against her further.

"Oh, that's actually quite smart!" The Princess had joined her in sitting at the stone steps of the castle, resting her head against her older sister's shoulder as she sighed in relief at the chance of cooling down after spending time under the sun. "This is nice."

Even Hans had took his place at her other side, wrapping his arm around her waist as he watched their son who had taken over her other shoulder, chuckling at how at ease he was in his mother's arms as he enjoyed the coolness of her skin.

"Is this what I am now?" the whole situation had her laughing, as now Olaf sat opposite from her, back against hers, admiring a flower he had picked on his way, even when she knew he did not need her the way the others did. "Not your Queen but your personal cooler?"

A chorus of agreement was shot back at her, even Wilhelm had giggled as he maintained his hold on her, causing her to shake her head with a roll of her eyes. Her own son had now given a way for her family to find the most ideal way of avoiding the summer heat, and she may wouldn't be able to get away from two adults chasing over her and a toddler that was just too adorable to resist.

But this… this had been the best possible outcome of her powers. The very power that she had feared for so long, had kept to herself so that no one could get hurt, the cause of her self-isolation for years inside her childhood bedroom where she spent half of her life alone and blanketed with loneliness, had now been the one thing that bring her surrounded by her family -quite literally, and she had turned to be a little emotional because of it.

Holding onto Wilhelm a little tighter, she cradled his head as she buried her face against the auburn hair that has grown so much, inhaling his scent as she closed her eyes. She didn't even realize she was trembling, but the moment she felt him snuggling up to her without much of a word or a babble he often does, she could not help the lone happy tear that rolled down her cheek.

Even if Anna or Hans had noticed her emotional state, they didn't say anything of it, simply maintaining their hold on her.

 **This chapter was originally far darker than this, but I'm feeling kind so fluff it is that you shall get.**

 **Also, hi RedHood001, I love you. Not in the creepy way, just... thank you for joining this family and being a fan!**


	45. Peaceful Morning

**Oh, don't worry, Guest, just because I didn't write it doesn't mean our two lovebirds are not intimate. We never knew what they're up to behind closed doors ;) But I've decided to write it anyway, just for the hell of it lol. And let's just say that the darker version of the previous chapter did NOT include warm(or cold?) hugs, but no need to worry about that anymore.**

 **I'm happy that this fic had been a go-to for those who were not satisfied with Frozen II, it's always been my pleasure to fulfill the needs of my readers.**

It was rare for her to wake up feeling so… _peaceful._

The autumn wind blowing gently against her skin had welcomed her the moment she had woken up even before she had opened her eyes to see the light that had peeked through the windows. The air had not been as cold as winter, but it was enough to make people preferring to stay under the warm covers, even for the Queen who was not bothered by the cold.

Though it was for a completely different reason when it came to her.

Inhaling the fresh air the morning brought, she had scooted close to where her husband was still sound asleep, chest rising and falling with each of his breath, and her hand had snuck under his shirt -he had started wearing those to bed instead of having his bare torso after Wilhelm had been born, feeling the hardness of his abdominal muscle as her hand travelled upward until her fingers drummed against his chest, right above where she could feel his heart beat under her touch.

There was a sharp intake of breath coming from him, as his hand come to capture hers through the fabric of his shirt, though he had only pressed it further against his chest as a smile grew on his face. "Have you realized that you have a rather cold touch, Your Majesty?"

"Really? I haven't noticed."

Turning to lie on his side, faces merely inches apart, he had brushed his nose against hers as she let out a light chuckle. "You are such a morning tease." She had merely hummed at that, just as his hand left hers to run across her waist and hip instead, prompting her to shift even closer, one leg coming between his. "But I'm not complaining."

"Good." Pushing him back onto his back she moved to straddle his hips, earning a laugh from him as he leaned forward until her lips brushed against the shell of his ear before it made it's way down to his neck, feeling the muscles and the vein under his skin. "Because I am not expecting any." Mornings like this had turned quite rare for them both, duties and responsibilities often got ahead of them and allowed them no time to lounge around in bed, and she had been trying her best in finishing her works early, just so she could spare a little time with her husband.

His hands held onto her hips, fingers running smoothly over the satin of her nightgown, down to her thighs and slipping past the hem until rough palms met smooth skin. Even such a simple gesture had made her biting onto her lower lip, pressing her forehead against his shoulder with a shuddering sigh. She missed this, this closeness, the sensation that tickled under her skin, the _desire_.

Straightening herself back up, she let eager hands to travel up his body, dragging along his shirt with them, as he returned the favor of hitching her nightgown up to her abdomen, thumbs paying close attention to the markings over the skin -the only thing that she could not rid off as the aftermath of her pregnancy, she had always felt self-conscious over them but Hans had never missed the chance of showing her that it had never bothered him, instead he marveled them, planting kisses over each as he murmured of how they were proof of how much of a strong woman that she was to be able to nurture and care for another living being, of their beloved son.

His sweet gesture had always reminded her of how lucky she was that her marriage had not been a mere political business, that her husband possessed the utmost respect and love toward her and their family, had never spoiled it with any other woman even during the times where she was not 'attractive'. She could not help leaning down to kiss him then, lips melting against each other as curious hands roamed freely.

"Elsa," his murmur that came between their kiss had only been of her name, but the warning in it was enough for her, they had been married long enough to understand each other even without of a word said. Raising a hand toward the direction of their bedchamber's door, she had let her magic shot through her palm, locking it with ice that would not budge. They had to resort to this, after many near-accidents that involved either the servants, Anna, or even Wilhelm who had almost mastered the art of walking into any room he desired.

Other than that, they had to remain quiet.

Biting down the moan that rose to her throat, her muscles relaxed the moment she lowered herself against him, eyes fluttering close she reminisced the fulfilling sensation, enjoyed the way his hands moved over her body, smiling when her ears caught his own quiet groan as his hips buckled. Nails digging onto his shoulder blades, it was particularly hard for her _not_ to let out a breathy gasp when his hands found themselves over her breasts, fingers doing the absolute tender attention.

"Hans, _please_." What was it that she was asking for, again? She couldn't quite recall on why she had even spoken that word, did not even know if it had been merely a random thing that she had unconsciously came up with, but either way he had somehow understood her, for the moment those two words escaped her lips she had to completely resist the urge to let out anything loud as he found just the perfect spot that she did not even know she needed for him to.

Her stomach tightened, movement becoming more frantic as she could feel herself near _bursting_ , on the verge of overflowing and dangerously close to tipping over from the slightest change. Throwing her head back the moment she had reached her peak, long platinum blonde hair reaching down to the small of her back, she let her body to move on it's own in accord to ride off the high she was in, hips inviting him to taste the same ecstasy that she was experiencing until he had let his own groan, filling her up as she came to press her body onto his, and even then they had remained as one, breathing heavily as his fingers brushed her hair aside and away from her face.

"Wilhelm will wake up soon." If not already, though she was sure his nannies were already there to handle him. Her murmur had been lazy, dared she had half-hearted as she was no where near ready to leave the bed just yet, content in having her husband's fingers grazing her back and sending shiver down her spine as she remained in his embrace.

"He'll be fine for a little while." His comment did not help in convincing her to move, if anything it had only driven her to snuggle close with a quiet sigh. "I wish to be a little selfish and have you all for myself this morning." With one hand cradling her head and the other securely on her back, he had brought the two of them rolling over until she met the mattress beneath her with a laugh.

"Already?"

"You don't want to be late, now do you, darling?"

* * *

Her sister could be a handful at times.

Overseeing the final preparations done inside the castle before tomorrow's celebration had never been as fun before she had Wilhelm, who she could share her thoughts with especially when it comes to tasting the desserts and finger foods. He may had been able to walk on his own, yet still he much preferred to cling to her against her hips, and she had let him feeling as if he was helping her in making decisions, though she had to move his hands away when it comes to examining the tall champagne glasses.

Sometimes Olaf came to follow her around as well -thankfully he had never been as demanding as Wilhelm was about being carried around, his presence as a living snowman still drove people to turn and look whenever he passed by, for the Queen's magical ability had never been expected to reach this far in term of creation.

"Well, aren't you radiant today, Elsa." The Princess had come around the corner with a mischievous grin she knew all too well as she came to join the older sister in walking down the halls heading for the courtyard. And even with the knowledge that Anna must have had something in mind, she just had to ask.

"Do I really?"

The strawberry-blonde haired Princess hummed in agreement. "Look at how flushed your cheeks are, they're just like Wilhelm's!" she had proceeded in pinching the young Prince's cheek then, making him whined in protest as he attempted -and failed, in avoiding his aunt's fingers. "Your morning must have been _good_."

The last word, and the knowing tone in her tease, had almost made her choke as she cleared her throat, shifting her hold on Wilhelm as she glared at her sister. "Yes, thank you for asking." Honestly, never a dull moment for Anna to find the opening for a tease that they both knew she could not avoid nor masked, and while her laughter had made her roll her eyes in annoyance, it had also able to become the Princess' ultimate escape from her wrath, all because the Queen _loved_ to hear that laughter of hers.

"What a beautiful shawl by the way," the Princess commented as she took Wilhelm, who had leaned toward her in his silent request for a change of carrier, into her arms, propping him easily with one arm as she had basically raised him too. "You should wear it again tomorrow if the marks on your shoulders hasn't fade."

That was it. Heat had crawled up her face so quickly that even her ice magic could not tame the redness of her cheeks as her hands tugged the fabric around her shoulders closer together, blue eyes truly glaring ice at the Princess who had started to flee with her son in tow, laughter even more hysterical that even Wilhelm had joined in despite his obliviousness to what she had been implying.

"Anna, come back here!"

 **And that marks the end of this book, folks! I do already have an overall plot planned for the next one that will follow more closely to the second movie with the addition of what had transpired in 'Chess Piece' and 'White Queen', I just haven't started writing it.**

 **Anyway, thank you for all of you guys who had followed along, who had read and leave a review whether it's suggestion for the story or even improvement and your feelings toward it, I appreciate each one of it and always take my time in reading every single one so that I can give you what you want and what you deserve.**

 **Cheers! And see you in the next installment!**


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